Misunderstood
by Carey
Summary: Ron's summer has been a nightmare living with his abusive Grandfather. His father saves him, but what happens when he can't save him from worse situations? Completed 3/1/03 That's Ron's B-day!
1. The Start Of It All

**Misunderstood**

**Chapter One**

**The Start Of It All**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the plot to this story.  All characters that you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling and Scholastic and all them people.**

**Author's Note: You do not have to read Changes In Ron to read this story.  This story is not a sequel to Changes In Ron.  It has nothing to do with Changes In Ron.  It's a completely separate story.  I hope you enjoy.  I have an actual plot this time, though that won't make it better than Changes In Ron.  I know I have the Grandfather character in my story again.  He's needed in order to make this story work.  He'll be just a bit different in this story, though he'll still be cruel.  Remember I'm a drama queen, so if this goes overboard a few times, forgive me.  So just read and if you like it or have criticism for it, leave a review.  Thanks! ~*Carey*~**

Ron Weasley looked at his mother with tearful, pleading eyes that were desperate for an alternative.  Mrs. Weasley gave Ron another warm hug.  "Ron, I don't want to send you there either, but…"

"Then don't!  I'd rather stay and take the chances than go there and be protected.  Grandfather's place is worse than death!  Please mum…" Ron cries desperately.

"Ron, I need you to go to watch after your sister."  Mrs. Weasley says with tears falling from her eyes.  She didn't want to do this anymore than he didn't want to go.  "I promise you'll have a great time."

"You know Grandfather hates me!"  Ron says.

"He loves you Ron.  He's your Grandfather!"  Mrs. Weasley tries again.

"Only by blood."  Ron cries stubbornly.

Mr. Weasley entered the house and took in the scene before him.  Only two of his children were home.  Ginny was sitting at the kitchen table watching her brother and her mother argue.  Two trunks waited in front of the fireplace.  It looked as if they hadn't even changed.

"What's going on dear?"  Mr. Weasley asks taking off his hat and approaching his wife cautiously.  She didn't look angry, but she was crying.

"Dad, please!  Mum is making me go to grandfather's, and you know he hates me!  Please don't let her send me!"  Ron cries.

"Why are we sending him to your father's?"  Mr. Weasley asks.

"The same reason why the twins are staying at the Jordan's, and the same reason why I'm sending Ginny along with Ron."  Mrs. Weasley says.

"Oh, I nearly forgot about the warning."  Mr. Weasley says turning a bit pale and looking sympathetically toward both of his children.  "Ron, come sit down in the kitchen.  We need to talk."

"I know about the warning.  Mum's explained!  Send me anywhere else… please!"  Ron cries.

"Ron," Mr. Weasley spoke softly pulling his son to a chair next to Ginny at the kitchen table.  "Ron, you don't know how hard it is for us to send you and your brothers and sister away."

"So make it easier on yourselves and don't!"  Ron cries.

"Let me finish, please… This is terribly hard on us, but we _have_ to.  You may not thank us now, but in the end… We're just trying to protect you.  You can't apparate incase of an emergency.  That warning about You-know-who and his followers being around isn't one anybody can take lightly.  It was issued from Dumbledore.  We have to send you away, and who knows, the caution could be lifted in a week… so it really won't be too bad."  Mr. Weasley says.

"It might not be lifted all summer!"  Ron cries angrily.

"It might not be, but just think of it this way… if you two stayed here, in a week Ginny won't be sitting there, and your mum might not be either.  If you stay, you're in danger.  Your mum and I will not let you get harmed as long as we're alive.  We don't want to take a chance like that Ron.  Dumbledore wants you out of reach especially.  You know about as much as Harry as he does.  If they were looking for Harry, all they'd have to do is find you.  You wouldn't want to put Harry's life in danger, would you?"  Mr. Weasley asks.

Ron sighed deeply.  "Well, what about sending Ginny and me off to friends houses like you did the twins?"  Ron asks.

"We wanted to do that, we really did.  Only I don't know any of Ginny's friends' parents well enough to ask them for that favor, and my father's the only family we can depend on… whom is still in the country.  And I don't want Ginny to be at my father's by herself.  She'll get bored."  Mrs. Weasley says.

"So send us to Hermione's!"  Ron pleads.

"Her parents are muggles, and from what I was told Hermione was planning on going to Bulgaria.  Ron, please don't make this any harder than it is.  We really don't want to do this, but we have too."  Mrs. Weasley cries.

"What about Percy?  He's moved in with Penelope!" Ron suggests.

"But the whole county is under alert… They can't be responsible for you two, and I know they'd bore you to death with studying."  Mrs. Weasley explains.

The clock that told the Weasley's schedule chimed seven times.  "Time to go you two.  I told him you'd be there at seven, exactly."  Mrs. Weasley says.

Ron took a deep breath and stood up.  "Let's go Ginny."  Ron said softly helping her up.

Mrs. Weasley stopped him.  She hugged him tightly again.  "Thank you sweetie.  We'll check on you every week."  Mrs. Weasley whispers in his ear.  She kissed his cheek.  "I know you'll have fun."

Mr. Weasley clapped Ron on the back and gave him a reassuring smile, while Mrs. Weasley hugged and kissed Ginny.  "Owl us if you need anything."  Mr. Weasley says.

Ron wanted to say he needed to stay home, but decided against it.  He knew he didn't have that choice, and it was hard enough on his parents already.

"Ron you go first."  Mrs. Weasley says.

Ron grabbed his trunk and Pigwidgeon's cage and put a pinch of Floo powder into the flames and said very clearly, "The O'Riley Manor," and was taken out of sight in a rush of emerald flames.  He spun faster and faster, blurred fireplaces flashing past him, until finally he felt himself slowing down and he stepped out of the fireplace of his Grandfather's manor.  He brushed soot off of his robes and pushed his trunk and owl's cage a few steps in front of him, so that Ginny could step out without falling into him, while he had a look around.

It had been ten years since he'd last seen his Grandfather's house.  While the Weasley's were very poor, Grandfather O'Riley, Mrs. Weasley's father had come from great wealth.  Mrs. Weasley had stopped speaking with her father, when he'd tried to break up her relationship with Mr. Weasley.  Her father offered her all his wealth, if she'd only leave Mr. Weasley.  She could bring her children, but Grandfather despised Mr. Weasley, and tried everything to make his only daughter leave him.

Grandfather only had one child and he loved Molly dearly.  He had tried to keep her his little girl forever, but then she met that Arthur Weasley at Hogwarts and had left her father for a life of her own.  And Grandfather was disgusted with the poverty-stricken life his daughter had chosen.

Ron was only five the last time he was here, and his grandfather had said less than ten words to him.  _"Disgusting.  Stay out of my sight!"_  It became apparent why he hated to look at Ron.  Ron looked like his father.

Grandfather loved Bill; he was his first grandchild, despite the fact that he had his father's looks.  Grandfather had loved Charlie just as much, if not more, because Charlie definitely looked more like his mother than his father, and he had 'the O'Riley strength and talent' as Grandfather called it.  Grandfather could even see almost the exact image of his younger self when he was a youngster when he looked at Charlie.  Percy impressed his Grandfather because he was smart.  It was decided while Percy also had his father's looks; Percy had his mother's brains.  Grandfather didn't especially like the twins because of their jokes, in fact Grandfather was without a sense of humor, but the twins charmed him because they were twins and adorable.  Grandfather couldn't find any excuse for Ron to explain how he was related to the O'Riley family.  In Grandfather's opinion, he was the exact replica of Mr. Weasley.  Ginny on the other hand was Grandfather's favorite grandchild.  Ginny was smart, beautiful, and exactly like her mother when she was her age.

Ron looked around the living room.  The room was huge; there were three long sofas all in front of the fireplace in a semi-circle so that the fireplace seemed to keep the company who sat on them well warm.  There was a long glass table in between the sofas and copies of the _Daily Prophet_ lie neatly piled on top of each other on one corner of the table.

Ginny stumbled out of the fireplace, and nearly fell over her trunk, but Ron caught her just in time.  He helped brush soot off of her, and she stared in amazement at the living room, which alone was about as wide as the Weasley's whole first floor.  Ginny looked at her older brother and smiled with excitement, for neither of them had been here in a decade, as it was a decade since their grandmother passed away, and Mrs. Weasley couldn't bear to come back to a place where she had lost her mother.  Grandmother O'Riley had been loving and caring.  She supported Mrs. Weasley's marriage, for she knew that marriage had nothing to do with money, though she offered to help with her daughter's finances, Mrs. Weasley had too much pride to accept her mother's charities.

"You're late."  A voice from behind them spoke, causing them both to gasp with surprise and turn.

They saw their Grandfather.  Grandfather was just a bit taller than Ron, though Ron was only fifteen and still growing.  For being old, Grandfather didn't look weak, though he did use a cane from time to time.  He was short yet stocky with muscles.  He was almost completely bald, yet the hair that he still had was red.  He wore fine robes and polished shoes.

At first Grandfather looked at Ron and glared, but his expression was completely the opposite when he saw Ginny step forward.  His eyes filled with tears and he smiled widely opening his arms.

"Virginia, my have you grown!  It's been ages since I've seen you last.  My word, you look just like your mother!"  Grandfather says.

Ginny blushed and smiled at her Grandfather's words, and after an unnoticed nudge from Ron, she walked over to him and Grandfather hugged her tightly.

"Come and have supper.  I told your mother not to feed you, tell me she didn't."  Grandfather says.

"No, she had us wait to eat with you."  Ginny says.

Only when Ginny said _we_ did Grandfather remember Ron was staying with them as well.  He looked over to Ron.

"I'd prefer you to put your things away before you join us.  You can place your stuff downstairs in the basement.  You can bring Virginia's things to the first bedroom on your right upstairs."  Grandfather says.

Ron nodded in response and took his trunk and Pig's cage downstairs into the basement, which was unheated.  It was summer, but the evenings in England could be a bit chilly, and Ron noticed the change in temperature as soon as he stepped downstairs.  The basement was dark, and Ron couldn't find a light for the life of him.  Ron was terrified of what could be down here.  Ron wasn't afraid of the dark, but he couldn't see what was down in this dark, cold basement, and feared that spiders might be lurking there, and spiders were the things Ron feared most of all.  Ron placed his trunk next to the bottom stair, in front of what little star and moonlight managed to shine through the basement windows.  He couldn't see a bed or anything else for that matter.  Ron put Pig's cage on top of his trunk in the little light that shone in the basement, so that the owl wouldn't have a fit.

Ron made his way back up the stairs as quickly as possible, and brought Ginny's trunk up the stairs to the second floor and opened the first door on the right revealing a huge light pink bedroom.  In the center of the room was a huge Canopy bed made with pale pink sheets and blankets.  She had countless pillows at the head of the bed.  The top one, and the biggest one, had the name _Virginia_ sewn across it.  The bedroom was designed especially for her.  A window just above the headboard let the light from the night light up the room.  There was a vanity dresser on one wall of the room, and against the opposite wall was a desk.  There was a huge closet just next to the door.  Ron placed Ginny's trunk against the closet and left the room, shutting the door, descending the stairs knowing that once there was light in the basement, he'd see the complete opposite of Ginny's room.  If he were lucky he'd get at least one blanket and maybe one pillow.

Ron entered the dining room, which had one long table with plenty of chairs.  Ginny sat across from her Grandfather at the opposite end of the room, laughing and talking, while enjoying her dinner.  Though Ron noticed she was smart enough to not talk and eat at the same time.  Ron wondered if his Grandfather would correct her if she made this mistake.  Grandfather looked up as Ron walked across the room to take a seat next to Ginny.

"There were no problems, I trust."  Grandfather says.

"Er, actually there's no heat in the basement, and I couldn't find a light."  Ron says.

"Well, I only keep a fire going on the first floor.  It is summer after all, and you'll be able to see perfectly well once the sun come out in the morning.  It's the new moon tonight, so there's not a lot of light."  Grandfather says.

"But you don't have any light at all downstairs?"  Ron asks.

"You're fifteen, you can't be afraid of the dark."  Grandfather says.

"No sir, I'm not.  It's just I can't see where I'm sleeping, and I need to unpack and a little light would be useful."  Ron says.

"I'll get you a lantern."  Grandfather says.

"Thank you."  Ron says uncomfortably.

"Your dinner's in the kitchen."  Grandfather says.

"Oh, all right."  Ron says standing up.  He leaves the table for the kitchen just behind him.  He came back with a plate of cold food, but sat down and began to eat anyway.

"You need to learn some manners, while you're here son."  Grandfather warns.

Ron wiped his mouth, and he swallowed the bite of food he was chewing.  "I'm sorry?"  Ron asks.

"You're forgiven, but you're still going to learn."  Grandfather says.

"No, I meant I'm sorry as in I don't understand what you're implying.  When didn't I use manners?"  Ron asks, now a bit irritated.  Ron had specifically been watching himself to use perfect manners.  He was cutting his chicken with his fork and knife, he had a napkin on his lap, and he was chewing with his mouth closed, and not talking.

"You didn't excuse yourself from the table."  Grandfather explains.

Ron fought hard to stay calm.  His grandfather wouldn't fail to correct him at any minor mistake.

"I apologize.  I won't make that mistake again."  Ron says.

Ginny looked at Ron with surprise.  Ginny was expecting Ron to get defensive, but somehow he was remaining calm.

"I hope not for your sake."  Grandfather says finishing up his dinner.  "You two finish up.  Then Virginia, please go to your room for bed.  I want you to unpack and get settled.  I want you well rested."

Ginny went to protest, but decided against it.  Her grandfather was treating her splendidly; there was no reason to argue with him.  "Yes Grandfather."  Ginny says.

Grandfather turned to Ron.  "I have to go out for a bit.  I'll be in late tonight.  I want you to lock the door behind me, and wait up until I get home.  Do you understand?"  Grandfather asks.

Ron nodded.

"Unless you are mute, you will speak, and I know you can speak as you had so many complaints about your room."  Grandfather says.

"Sorry sir.  I understand."  Ron says.

"Good."  Grandfather says standing up.  "Excuse me."  Grandfather brought his plate into the kitchen and came back out.  He kissed Ginny on the head.  "It's great seeing you again sweetheart.  Enjoy your dinner.  I hope you like your room."

"Thank you."  Ginny says.

"Ronald…" Grandfather says indicating that Ron should follow him.

Ron winced at hearing his full name.  "Excuse me."  Ron says to Ginny as he got up from the table and followed his Grandfather to the door.

"Make sure Virginia's in bed after she's finished eating.  Wash the dishes, and wait up until I come home.  I'll be home between two and three.  Watch Virginia, don't you dare hurt her, and don't mess up the house.  You may wait in the living room for me, but nowhere else, unless you're checking on Virginia.  Do you understand?"  Grandfather asks in a dangerous whisper.

"Yes sir."  Ron says.

"You better."  Grandfather says taking his cloak.  He wrapped it around himself and stepped outside, where Ron watched him apparate.  Ron locked the door before returning to the dining room to eat.

Ginny looked up at Ron worriedly.  "Ron, I'm afraid.  What if I make a mistake, what if I forget my manners?  I feel like I'm in trouble every time he says my name.  I'm afraid to correct him."  Ginny says.

"Don't worry about a thing.  Grandfather loves you.  You should see your room!"  Ron says reassuringly.

"Do you think I should ask him to call me Ginny?"  Ginny asks.

"Virginia's a better name than Ronald."  Ron says.  "I'd rather him just look at me and tell me what to do rather than be addressed by Ronald.  I can't stand that name."

"Are you really going to make me go to bed after dinner?  I'm fourteen now, and I'll be in bed my nine o'clock.  Do you know how young that makes me feel?"  Ginny asks.

"He won't be home until two, but I'm not risking my skin for your privileges.  Just be in your bedroom when you're finished.  Unpack and then you can relax a bit.  Grandfather's got everything in your room for you.  You won't grow bored."  Ron says.

"You don't want me to wait up with you?"  Ginny asks.

"Ginny, Grandfather would hang me if I let you."  Ron says.

"But what if you grow bored?  You can't even see your room."  Ginny says.

"I'm not sure that I want to.  I have plenty to do while I wait."  Ron says.

"Where do you think Grandfather went?"  Ginny asks.

"He probably had to go check on a friend."  Ron suggests, referring to his Grandfather's days as a mediwizard, or a wizard doctor.  Though he was retired, he was still requested now and then.  Ron knew that he was rarely called upon anymore, and that he was more than likely at a pub drinking into the late hours of the night.

"This late at night?"  Ginny asks.

"From what mum has said, he was one of the best mediwizards… and wizards and witches can get sick at any hour."  Ron says.

"True."  Ginny says shrugging.  Then she stood up holding her plate, in a mocking tone she spoke.  "Excuse me."

"Ginny, let me take your plate out.  I want to bring the crumbs to Pig, and I have to wash it anyway."  Ron says rolling his eyes.

"I'll wash the dishes for you."  Ginny offers.

Ron grabbed the sleeve of her robe.  "Grandfather wouldn't have any of that.  Just go to your room and wash up and unpack."  Ron says.

Ginny sighed, rolling her eyes.  "I'm sorry Ron.  I'll explain to Grandfather tomorrow that I'm perfectly capable of helping out around here, despite the fact that I'm a girl."  Ginny says.

"Ginny, enjoy not having to do anything.  Just unpack, or I'll have to do that tomorrow for you too."  Ron says.

"All right.  Goodnight Ron."  Ginny says smiling sadly at her brother.  Ginny didn't think it was fair at all that she was treated like a princess, while her brother was treated like scum.  She climbed the stairs and all of that was forgotten as she nearly shrieked with delight at seeing her perfect room.  She put her stuff away, and made herself comfortable in bed, falling asleep soon after.

Meanwhile, Ron had just finished washing the dishes.  He brought all the crumbs down to Pig, and decided to get Pig out of here, as he was making a bit of a ruckus down in the basement.  He decided to write to Harry.  He wanted to write to his parents, but he didn't want them to feel even guiltier.  He was in a helpless situation.  He had nowhere else to go; so writing to them wouldn't do any good.  Besides, things could've been a lot worse.  Little did he know that they were about to…

Ron sat on the black couch facing the fire working on one of his holiday assignments.  He never thought he'd be so bored as to get started on his holiday essays on the evening he arrived home.  It wasn't even the first day of the holidays.  Ron started on his essay summarizing the Unforgivable Curses, and had rewritten four times, making it longer and better each time.  The first time, he had written two paragraphs in big handwriting to make it the length that the assignment was required to be.  Now he was writing extremely tiny for him anyway and just squeezing the last words on the bottom of the parchment.  His new professor would be impressed for sure.  

He wanted to write to Hermione sending this essay with a letter, but then decided against it, because one he'd already sent Pig off with a letter to Harry, two he didn't want to talk to the traitor who was probably having a great time in Bulgaria even though it was a few hours, it seemed like a couple of weeks to Ron, and three he'd probably get a reply of '_I told you, you could do it if you just concentrated for more than two minutes,_' and then he'd probably be nagged to do more if he went back to his old ways, which he would be doing as soon as he had better things to do.

Ron reread his essay a final time and tucked it back inside his bag.  He pondered whether he should start on another essay, but then he looked at his watch.  It was quarter to three in the morning!  Ron put his quill, ink, and book back into his bag, which he then placed back into his trunk, which he had brought back upstairs to see his things.  He then decided to bring his trunk back downstairs.  He came upstairs and sunk back into the couch as he waited for his Grandfather to come home.  Surely, he'd be home soon.

Ron's eyelids started growing heavy.  He was tired from the train ride home and that had been hours ago.  Where was his Grandfather?

A popping noise and loud knocking from the front door woke Ron up.  Ron rubbed his tired eyes and looked at his watch before getting up.  He hadn't known he'd fallen asleep.  It was now half past four in the morning.  Ron was grateful that he had fallen into a light sleep.  Usually he'd be dead to the world when he was out.  Ron stumbled sleepily over to the door and peered out the window to see his Grandfather.  His heavy eyelids didn't let him see that he appeared angry.  Ron unlocked the door and it flung open knocking Ron roughly to the floor.

Ron went to speak, but his Grandfather reached down and grabbed a handful of Ron's hair violently, pulling Ron on to his feet with a cry.

"Grandfather, let go of me!"  Ron cried trying to struggle away from him without pulling his hair even more.

Grandfather shut the door and locked it ignoring Ron's cries.  He yanked Ron's hair violently toward the basement causing Ron to follow.  Grandfather swung open the basement door and looked at Ron dangerously.  "You have complaints about the rooms of my house, do you?"  Grandfather asks in a slurred voice.

Ron thought quickly to understand what Grandfather was talking about.  His eyes grew wide with anxiety as he remembered.  "No!  No sir, your rooms are perfect!"  Ron cries.

Grandfather grinned.  "Here's something to complain about…" Grandfather said shoving Ron forcefully towards the basement.

Ron flew, but hit the fourth cement step hard, then his body followed, causing him to tumble down the steps, and he couldn't stop rolling until he crashed into something… hard.  Everything went dark.

The next morning, Harry Potter awoke to a tapping noise at his bedroom window, well his cousin Dudley's second bedroom window.  Harry rolled his eyes to see Ron's overexcited owl so soon.  Not that Harry didn't want to hear from Ron, in fact Harry was happy to hear from a friend so soon, yet it hadn't even been twenty-four hours since he last saw his friend.  With an inward laugh, Harry crossed the room and opened the window letting the small owl in.  He snatched the letter and opened Hedwig's cage, so that the owl could have a bit to eat and drink.

Thankfully, Hedwig wasn't there as she was delivering a letter to Sirius so that he would be reassured that Harry was fine, though his shoulders felt tremendously burdened with guilt of Cedric Diggory's death, he didn't want Sirius to worry about him.  Truthfully, he had sent the letter to see how far away his Godfather was.  Harry didn't want him to be so close, and yet he hoped he wasn't too far.

Just as Harry was unfolding the parchment that revealed Ron's loopy scrawl, Aunt Petunia shouted for him from the bottom of the stairs.  Harry folded it back up and tucked it into his pocket, he'd have to wait a bit before he could read the letter.  He grimaced as he looked back at Pig.  If Hedwig came back anytime soon, she'd have a fit, and Harry wasn't sure about keeping Pig penned up.  Surely he'd cause a riot.  Though he couldn't send Pig back without a reply.  Harry had no clue as to when Hedwig would be back.

Harry sighed hoping the bird could be calm for once as he turned towards the door and headed downstairs.  He found his aunt in the kitchen slicing vegetables.  Dudley was sitting in front of the television, unaware that his cousin had entered the kitchen.  Dudley was off of his diet though he was larger than last year.  Some of his fat had gone unnoticed as he was now a foot taller, however the Dursley's were paying extra for having his uniforms custom made, now Dudley was allowed to eat whatever he wanted again.  Now Harry could eat a better meal than just a quarter of a grapefruit, if his cousin didn't eat it first.  However, he would soon be asking his friends to send food, and was a bit surprised to see that there was not food sent with Pig, though Pig couldn't carry it by himself anyway.

"Yes Aunt Petunia?"  Harry asks expectantly.

"Dudley's friends are coming over, and I'll be having tea with a few of my friends.  Therefore, you'll be spending the afternoon at Ms. Figg's, as you always seem to do something abnormal when company comes over.  Mind you, your uncle Vernon threatens to flay you within an inch of your life, if Ms. Figg mentions anything abnormal that you've done, or has any complaints whatsoever.  Do you understand?"  Aunt Petunia asks.

Harry inwardly groaned.  Ms. Figg was a nice but crazy old lady with lots of cats.  Her house smelled of cabbage and her food always tasted stale to Harry.

"Yes Aunt Petunia."  Harry said with a heavy sigh.

"Good, then go on.  You'd best arrive there; I'll be calling in ten minutes to see that you do."  Aunt Petunia says.

Harry rolled his eyes and left the house.  He walked the two blocks to Ms. Figg's house and knocked on the door.

Harry took a step back and it opened, revealing a cheery looking old lady.  "Harry, dear…" She spoke rather loudly.  "Do come in.  I've been expecting you."

Harry forced a smile and stepped into the house, which filled his nostrils with the smell of cabbage.

Harry was brought into the living room, where Ms. Figg's many cats were.  Harry rubbed his eyes as he saw a black dog sitting in the doorway of the kitchen.  Harry stared apprehensively at the dog, knowing it was Sirius.  He was mad!  He had to be, to be in a muggle's home that was beyond crazy.  Sirius leapt on to the couch where he transformed into his wizarding self, beaming at Harry.

"Have you gone mad?  You're a fugitive in the muggle world too!  Change back and get out before she sees you!"  Harry whispered quickly.

"Sirius!  I told you not to change, unless all the shades are drawn down."  Ms. Figg said pointing a wand at the shades, which at once came down, making the room a bit darker.

"You're a witch!"  Harry says.

"Well of course she is!  Arabella's an auror!  Where have you been?"  Sirius asks as if it were obvious.  Then his eyes grew worried.  "You didn't lose your memory during the TriWizard Tournament, did you?"

"How would I know if I'd forgotten?  No, I haven't lost my mind, but Ms. Figg never mentioned she was a witch before."  Harry explains.  Then he realized a connection.  Dumbledore had sent Sirius to alert the old crowd… Arabella Figg… Ms. Figg.  Of course, this was why Harry stayed at Privet Drive.  An auror was two streets away.

"No, I didn't.  I haven't seen you since before you found out you were a wizard.  I couldn't have let you run around telling the world about me… and our world."  Ms. Figg says going into the kitchen.

"Oh."  Harry says.

"I got your owl."  Sirius says changing the subject.

"Oh you did?"  Harry asks.  Then he jumped up with alarm.  "Please tell me you didn't send Hedwig back yet!"

"I didn't send Hedwig back yet."  Sirius says calmly.

Harry sighs.  "Good."

"Why is that good?"  Sirius asks.

"Well, because my aunt and cousin are having company, and I got sent out without being able to read Ron's letter, so I couldn't reply, and I didn't know when Hedwig would be back with your response, so I kept Pig in my room, and Hedwig and Pig don't get along real well, because Hedwig's really a great owl, and Pig is a bit rowdy, and if Hedwig was sent back, there'd be a big commotion and Hedwig would have to be given away, because the Dursley's would kill me."  Harry says.

"They wouldn't dare.  They know I'd kill them first, and if they don't know, then you should let them know."  Sirius says.  "How's Ron doing?  Wait, didn't you guys just come home yesterday?  Is he so worried about you that he can't wait twenty-four hours to write, or do you owl each other daily?"

"No, I actually don't know why he owled so soon.  He's probably worried about me, but I don't know.  I didn't actually read it yet."  Harry says pulling out the letter from his pocket.  "Maybe I can stay with the Weasley's now!"

"I doubt Dumbledore made a decision so quickly.  He wouldn't send you to the Dursley's for less than two days just to change his mind."  Sirius says.

"What are we talking about?"  Ms. Figg asks bringing three cups of tea out with cakes on a platter.

"I was saying that maybe my friend wrote me so soon to let me know I could come and stay with him.  I always go to the Weasley's for part of the summer."  Harry says.

"Well that letter best not have said you could stay.  I specifically told Dumbledore that there's a bad aura around that area.  If Arthur and Molly are smart, you'll find that your friend's aren't even there."  Ms. Figg says.

"You told Dumbledore not to let me go to the Weasley's?"  Harry asks in disbelief.

"It's for your safety."  Ms. Figg says.  "Tell me your friend's not at the burrow.  The death eaters only have to put the Imperius Curse on him to get to you."

Harry read the letter.

_Harry-_

_            How are you?  Are the muggles treating you all right?  I know it hasn't even been twenty-four hours since we last saw each other, but your uncle didn't look especially pleased to see you, and a lot has happened since then.  I barely had time to speak with my father before Ginny and I were gone again.  The twins are spending the summer, or at least part of it with Lee.  I found out the reason you can't come to the burrow right away.  I'm not even allowed there right now, mind you it's my home.  Some auror warned Dumbledore that You-know-who and his death eaters were lurking around somewhere not far from the burrow.  Anyway, there's a heavy caution that my parents are listening to, and they don't want us to be in danger, as we can't apparate, so we've been sent to my Grandfather's.  Given the choice, I'd have stayed with my parents, but they wouldn't hear of it.  They said I know almost as much about you as you do, and that if the Death Eaters did come, I could put your life in jeopardy.  So being the loyal friend that I am, I'm stuck here somewhere in York. But don't feel guilty, like I said I didn't have a choice to begin with and I have to watch Ginny, so it's partially her fault too._

_            No, my Grandfather isn't all bad_.  _His house is huge, and he's given me the whole basement for my room.  Grandfather's really rich, mind you, but my parents have too much pride to take anything he offers, well except for us coming to stay here of course.  They had to comply for our safety.  I don't like my Grandfather's house as much as the burrow though.  The burrow's not much, but it is home.  Grandfather's a bit strict about his house though, and I'm always afraid I might break something by accident.  Hermione would be proud to see me hold my tongue rather than start an argument like I would normally.  You know how I hate being corrected, and of course I forgot to excuse myself from the table to get my dinner, and he had to say something about it, but I somehow managed to apologize, even though I was coming right back to the table!_

_            Speaking of Hermione, the traitor!  Do you know that she's going to Bulgaria for the summer?  To see Krum of course!  She lied to me!  I mean the few times she didn't answer me don't count as lying, but she said she wasn't sure if she was going, that she hadn't made up her mind, or that she was still thinking about it!  Well she obviously knew she was going, because when my mum spoke to Hermione's parents about possibly taking Ginny and I in just for a week or so, then we'd come here, they apologized and said that they'd love to have us, but that Hermione wouldn't be there, as she had plans to go to Bulgaria._

_Anyway, I hope the warning is lifted soon; otherwise I'm in for a very boring summer.  I hope the muggles are treating you all right, and if they're not owl Fred and George and ask for some of their new sweets.  Threaten the muggles with them.  Then again, maybe you'd be in a worse position with them.  You won't know until you try.  – _**_Ron_**

Harry inwardly laughed and couldn't suppress a grin.  Ron had probably given himself a hand cramp from writing so much.

"He's not at the burrow, he's at his Grandfather's house."  Harry says folding up the letter.

"Let me see that."  Sirius says.

Harry looked a bit hesitant, but handed it to Sirius and watched curiously as his Godfather read the letter.

"What does he mean by Hermione, the traitor?"  Sirius asks.

"Oh, he's just complaining about her again.  If he had written me a letter that didn't have a complaint about Hermione, then I'd be worried.  He thinks Hermione betrayed me, because she was a bit friendly with another school's champion in the TriWizard Tournament."  Harry says nonchalantly.

"It sounds like he really didn't want to go to his Grandfather's house."  Sirius says.

"Yea, but I can't imagine why.  Ron never told me about his Grandfather."  Harry says.

Ron Weasley awoke with every part of his body aching.  Tears came to his eyes as he stood up.  He limped over to a small bed that was nothing like Ginny's, but would accommodate him.  He now was able to see the basement that would be his room during his stay.  It was big and empty.  At the bottom of the stairs, you could go left or right, Ron had kept rolling forward and smashed into the cement wall.  There was an old dresser next to Ron's bed, and a desk on the other side.  Other than that, there was nothing but Ron's trunk and Pig's cage in the basement.  While Ron hated his Grandfather, he was grateful that he kept the basement immaculate, because Ron wouldn't have to fear spiders here.

Ron looked at his watch to find that he had been unconscious for six hours as it was ten thirty in the morning.  He changed into clean robes painfully.  He could see cuts and bruises on his arms, his stomach and chest, his legs, and he was sure he bruised his tailbone, as it hurt him to sit.  He could feel pain in his back and the back of his neck as well.  His head hurt greatly, and his face hurt, but he hoped there was nothing to show.  He couldn't let Ginny know, or she'd end up hating her Grandfather, and Grandfather would hit Ron worse and start to hit her.  They weren't able to leave, so even if they were able to tell their parents, it wouldn't do anything.  Ron thought of an excuse for anything that might've been apparent that Ginny would see as he started up the stairs.

He entered the dining room to find Grandfather and Ginny talking over breakfast.  Ginny gasped when she saw Ron, for she saw dried blood, and bruises on the side of his face.

"Ron!  What happened?"  Ginny cries, standing up and running over to her brother.

Ron inwardly groaned.  Ginny hadn't excused herself, because of him.  Surely Grandfather would punish _him_ for it later.

"I fell down the stairs."  Ron says.  It wasn't lying exactly.  He had fell down the stairs after his Grandfather pushed him.

"Oh my gosh!  I thought Grandfather was giving you a lantern so you could see down the steps."  Ginny cries.  She was now in tears seeing her brother so beaten up.

"And he did!"  Ron said quickly.  "I was just stupid and didn't use it to find my way upstairs to the bathroom.  Going back downstairs I stumbled over my own shoelace, and fell."  Ron lies.

"Can I get you some ice or a wet rag or anything?"  Ginny asks.

"No, I'm fine, really.  I was on my way to the bathroom to wash up."  Ron says.

"But the bathroom's upstairs."  Ginny says confusedly.

"I know, but I smelt something cooking, and I decided to say good morning.  Now I'm going to wash up."  Ron says and walks out of the room, forcing himself to walk right, rather than limp.

Ron washed his face in the bathroom.  A bruise darkened the left side of his face, and there was a scrape on top of that.

Ron silently prayed that his Grandfather wouldn't stay out late drinking often, and if he did, he prayed that he'd be kinder than that. 


	2. Bullies Young And Old

**Misunderstood**

**Chapter Two**

**Bullies Young And Old**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the plot to this story.  All characters that you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling and Scholastic and all them people.

Author's Note:  Thanks for the reviews.  I've always had a problem with keeping it the same tenses like past or present tense, but it's something I intend to work on.  Thanks for the honesty and the encouragement!  ~*Carey*~ 

Ron didn't bother to have breakfast.  He told Ginny that his stomach hurt, and reassured her that he was fine.  He couldn't believe Ginny was worrying about him.  He was supposed to be worrying about her!

"Ronald!"  Grandfather's voice called from the dining room.

Ron flinched at his name.  He wouldn't be able to take this all summer.  His name, Ronald, alone was enough to push his buttons.  However, he'd have to get used to it if he wanted to survive the summer.  Ron entered the dining room.

"Yes sir?"  Ron asked timidly.

"Take mine and Virginia's dishes into the kitchen and wash them."  Grandfather said standing up.

"Yes sir."  Ron said softly in way of response.  He walked over to where the dishes were and began to pick them up when he flinched as a hand gripped his shoulder tightly.

"Virginia's never to find out about this, do you understand?  I don't want her to feel guilty about anything.  She offered to do the dishes for you… I don't want her to lift a finger in this house, and so help you if she does.  Do you understand me?"  Grandfather asked.

Ron shuddered.  He wanted to shrug his Grandfather's hand off of him and throw him into the wall, but what would his parents think of him?  He swallowed his pride deeply in defeat.  There was no way he was going to win.  

"Yes sir."  Ron answered praying his Grandfather would let go of him.

"You better hope so."  Grandfather said with a painful squeeze before letting Ron go.

Ron had to control himself so he wouldn't run into the kitchen with the plates.  He wasn't going to stand up to his Grandfather, but he wouldn't show him fear, either.

Ron washed the dishes and cautiously entered the living room, where Ginny was drinking tea while talking with her Grandfather on the couch.  Ron hung back in the doorway, as not to draw any of his Grandfather's attention to himself, and groaned inwardly knowing he'd have to wash their cups when they finished.

"Those robes are much too worn for a beautiful young lady to be wearing."  Grandfather said as he noticed the hand-me-down robes she wore.

"These were once Ron's, but before that they were one of the twins', and before that they were most likely Percy's."  Ginny said thoughtfully.

"How would you like it if we were to go to Diagon Alley to get you some proper robes that fit?"  Grandfather asked with a smile.

"These robes fit me well enough Grandfather, and I don't think mum and dad could pay you back."  Ginny said and her ears turned red as she became interested in her tea.

"There's no such thing as well enough for my granddaughter!  Don't you worry about the cost of anything!  It's all on me!"  Grandfather asked.

"Grandfather, you really don't have too…" Ginny said, though Ron knew she wanted new robes more than anything.

"I know I don't have to, but I want to!"  Grandfather said gladly.

"Oh thank you!"  Ginny said excitedly hugging her Grandfather tightly.

It was then that Ron saw his Grandfather smile a true smile.  Ron was sure that he'd cry of happiness, but that was until he opened his eyes to finally notice Ron.

"Ronald!"  Grandfather said happily.

"Yes sir?"  Ron asked hesitantly.

"Your sister and I are going to Diagon Alley.  If you want, after your done washing our cups, you can take the opportunity to go outside and meet some of the adolescents around here."  Grandfather said brightly.

Ron knew that there was something suspicious behind his Grandfather's cheery tone.  Surely, it couldn't have been making Ginny happy that caused Grandfather to be nice to Ron.  Ron knew that his Grandfather would never take him out in public with him, if he could help it, but to let him stay home, and possibly make friends?  Ron knew if there was one thing out of order when his Grandfather returned, he'd be killed, but why would Grandfather let him have fun?  Was it an attempt to make up for his drunken behavior last night?  No, because his Grandfather didn't need to be drunk to hurt Ron he'd already proven that in the kitchen.  Maybe his parents were coming to make sure everything was all right.  Maybe they had felt so much guilt that they felt they needed to check on them.  Maybe his Grandfather was trying to make it up to him by letting him have a bit of fun.

"You're sure?  I can stay here and work on my assignments, if you'd rather…" Ron offered.

"Do what you want, but you can't stay cooped up all summer.  It's very unhealthy."  Grandfather said.

"Oh, well then I guess I'll do that.  Thank you sir.  Oh, wait!"  Ron said as he realized another possibility.  "Are there wizards and witches around here?"  Ron was sure his Grandfather was up to something, and he had only said adolescents, not muggles or wizards.  Ron wasn't sure he'd do real well around muggles.  He only knew a few things about the muggle world, and he had a feeling his knowledge even on those few things weren't completely accurate.

"Of course, you don't think I'd surround myself with muggles, do you?"  Grandfather asked, his voice full of shock.

"Well no sir, but you don't surround yourself with… well, anybody sir."  Ron said.

"There are young wizards and witches just two villages away.  The villages aren't big at all mind you.  Once you're out of the woods, you walk straight down the main roads and you'll get to the wizarding village.  You'll know when your there.  Most of the teenagers hang out on the sidewalk, not bothering to keep their voices low about terms muggles wouldn't know."  Grandfather explained.

Ron wondered if he'd know any of these teenage wizards and witches, and he also wondered if he'd want to know them.  What if Draco Malfoy, Ron's archenemy, lived in York as well?  Malfoy only needed to see the bruise on the side of Ron's face to have a great laugh for the school year.

Ron took the teacups into the kitchen and washed them quickly, anxious to get out of the house, yet he was careful to not drop them.

Ron came back into the living room to find his Grandfather and sister still there.  He silently prayed that they'd leave soon so he could get out of the O'Riley manor.

"We're going to be another few minutes.  You don't have to wait around for us to leave you should start walking now.  I want you home before dark, and it'll take you a bit to meet people and then you'll have to walk home… Mind you, I said I want you home before dark, I don't want you walking home when it gets dark."  Grandfather said with a tone of warning in his voice.

"Yes sir.  Thank you sir!"  Ron said excitedly and left the manor.

Ron ran excitedly through the woods to the next village.  Ron followed the streets that looked like main roads, though he wasn't sure.  Ron was practically skipping with delight as he made way toward the next village.  Perhaps he was really skipping, for he tripped over something ripping the knee in his pants and skinning his knee.  What a klutz, the wizards would think him to be.

Ron started to get up, not bothering to check what had tripped him; he didn't want to lose any time.  However the _person_ who tripped him didn't see it that way as he shoved Ron from behind down on the cement causing Ron to scrape his arms.

"What the- Ow!  Hey!"  Ron yelled angrily at the two teenagers behind him who were now grabbing him by the arms to pull him up.

"Get off of me!"  Ron yelled pulling one arm free.

The teenager who had lost his grip quickly regained it as the two young men dragged a kicking and yelling Ron behind a brick building.

"Let me go!  Now!"  Ron yelled as they slammed him against the brick wall… hard.

One of the muggles searched Ron's pockets, while Ron kicked and elbowed him.  

"Where's your money?"  A voice from behind the two muggles in control asked.

Ron struggled to stand to his full height, and finally managed to do so, to see three more muggles standing behind the two that were searching him.

"I don't have any."  Ron said through gritted teeth.  It was all he could do to keep calm.  If he was caught fighting with muggles his father might not ever speak to him again, as he worked in the office of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts in the Ministry.  It was his job to protect muggles.

A powerful blow to the jaw found Ron's face meeting the brick wall.  Ron cried out in surprise.  He could taste blood from his lip.

"I'll ask you nicely one more time!  Where is your money?"  The muggle asked threateningly.

"I honestly don't have any!  I have five brothers and a sister, and we're really, really poor!  I don't have anything for you!"  Ron cried out helplessly.  Ron didn't want to sound desperate, his stubbornness would hardly let him, but the fear of disappointing his father alarmed him, and he thought maybe if he'd sound honest, they wouldn't hurt him too badly.

Ron flinched as somebody stepped forward and yanked at his wrist.  He felt a tug and something snap and he opened his eyes to find one of them twirling his watch around on their finger.

"Nothing for us, eh?  Oh yea, he's real trustworthy, all right… I say we teach him a lesson!"  One of the muggles said with a smirk.

Ron lost all control he had.  "Give me back my watch!  Somebody needs to teach you all a lesson about what's right and wrong!  Messing with me… is wrong!"  Ron said punching the face in front of him.  Ron was surprised at the power of the blow as he saw the muggle fall to the ground.

"GET HIM!"  The fallen muggle yelled.

They chased after Ron, who's speed was always incredible, once he was running… As it was, Ron hadn't started running long enough to make such speed and was slammed into the wall again, and yelled as more than one pair of hands punched him.  The punches were coming randomly, one after the other, to different places of his body, and somehow Ron couldn't move from the wall where he was slammed up against even harder from every blow.

Ron started to fight back, elbowing, swinging his fist as he turned around, kneeing somebody between the legs, which turned out to be a great defense… However, when he turned around, he made his face more vulnerable to being hit, which was taken advantage of, as blows came to his head, his nose, eyes, and jaw.  He could only fight back against the five boys, and wasn't doing it successfully.  However, he couldn't give up, despite the powerful hits.  Ron's vision was becoming blurred… He'd be passing out any minute now, and then they'd kill him!  Despite how well Grandfather treated Ginny, Ron couldn't die while Ginny was in his Grandfather's custody.

As if by some miracle, he felt the gap between him, the wall, and the muggles open, and he took his chance and ran as fast as he could out of the village, running through the woods to his Grandfather's manor.

He reached the house in record timing, only to find that when he turned the handle, the door… didn't open.  

Now he was locked out!  Ron walked over to the nearest tree and kicked and punched it in frustration.  He punched it until he was so worn out that his knees gave out from under him.  He fell onto his knees, and lay against the tree he just beat up.

He looked at the sky, it was still long before dark, but it was murky, and thunder sounded confirming him of his thoughts… it was going to storm.

'Of course!'  Ron thought as he curled himself up as tight as he could to keep warm.  This was why Grandfather had let him go out of the house.  He must've known of those muggle bullies in the next town.  He must've known that it would storm!  He must've known Ron had only two choices, both of which would end him in a bad position with his Grandfather.  

On the one hand, he could wait until his Grandfather got home, but who knew when that would be… most likely after dark, just so he could punish Ron for coming in late.  On the other hand, he could break a window to enter, though that would earn him a worse punishment for damaging his Grandfather's property.

Ron heard the crack of thunder again, and with a flash of lightning and another boom, it began to pour.

Ron had no recollection of how he got to sleep in the storm.  However, he awoke from quite a few hours of sleep, and it was now dark.  It was still stormy out.  Ron's breath caught in his throat as he saw the lights inside the manor were on.  Grandfather was home.  Oh why couldn't he have woken up sooner?

Ron walked up to the door and turned the handle.  To his surprise and advantage, it was still locked!  Grandfather would surely understand now, even though it wouldn't matter, he wouldn't berate him in front of Ginny.  Ron knocked on the door several times and swallowed deeply.

Ron heard the door unlock and it swung open, revealing a very happy Ginny wearing her brand new robes that fit her perfectly.

However, the radiant expression on her face turned quickly to a look of horror as she saw her brother.

"Oh my God!"  Ginny gasped.  "Grandfather!  Grandfather!  Come quick!  Ron's hurt!"

Quick footsteps brought Grandfather to the door where he looked at Ron with an expression similar to Ginny's.

Grandfather grabbed Ron tightly by the shoulder pulling him in the manor.  With a wave of his wand Grandfather dried Ron of the excess water and blood, revealing the bruises and cuts that had definitely come from somebody's fists.

"Have you been fighting?"  Grandfather asked dangerously.

"It wasn't my fault!"  Ron said insistently.  "Some muggles attacked me and stole my watch!"

"I thought I told you to come home before dark!"  Grandfather snapped; it seemed he didn't hear any of Ron's words.

"I was!  I was right outside!  The door was locked!"  Ron cried desperately.

"Grandfather, I did have to unlock the door."  Ginny says meekly.

"Still, we were home before dark.  The fire was lighted as soon as we returned!"  Grandfather said gently to Ginny, then his voice became harsh as he turned back to Ron.  "If you had been out there, you should've knocked for us to let you in!"

"I fell asleep!"  Ron cried.

"In that storm?  You're telling me you fell asleep in that?"  Grandfather asked disbelievingly as he pointed toward the window.

"Yes!  I don't know how either!  I think the muggles hit me too hard!"  Ron cried.

"Ronald, stop it right now!  I don't like liars, and it is clear to me that you have lied to me this whole time.  You have nothing but excuses, and poor excuses at that!  I reckon the muggles must've hit you too hard, because you're not thinking straight.  I want you to be honest with me Ronald!"  Grandfather said.

"I am being honest with you!  I never lied once!"  Ron cried.

"I'm ashamed of you!  You lie consistently!  What's even worse is you fought… Only cowards fight with their fists!  That's what you are Ronald Weasley, a coward!  A coward who fought innocent muggles!"  Grandfather said disappointedly.

"They weren't innocent!  They hit me, and were going to kill me!  They stole my watch!"  Ron yelled frustrated as he held up his wrist to show his Grandfather.

His Grandfather grabbed his wrists, for he saw something else.  "No you didn't hit them…" Grandfather said looking at Ron's bloody and bruised knuckles.

"I may have hit them once or twice, but only in defense to get away!  I swear!  I was upset that I couldn't get in the house, and I punched the tree!  You don't damage your knuckles like I did by punching anybody!"  Ron raged.

"Go downstairs to your room.  You've disgraced me.  I don't want to see you for the rest of the evening, is that understood?"  Grandfather asked.

"You have to believe me!"  Ron cried.

"Apparently I haven't made myself clear."  Grandfather said raising his voice.

"No sir, I understand."  Ron said under his breath before running down the basement steps.

Ron changed into clean robes and lay on his bed.  Ron inwardly shuddered dreading when Ginny would go to sleep.  Grandfather would kill him then.

Ron could hear his empty stomach rumble as the smell of dinner found it's way to Ron's nostrils.  He hadn't had anything to eat since the cold dinner he had the previous evening.

Ron dozed in and out throughout the evening hours, but jumped up with alert as he heard footsteps and the basement door swing open.  He had no idea as to what time it was, since his watch was stolen.

"Ronald!"  Grandfather called from the top step.

Ron forced his aching body to go to the bottom of the stairs and steadily ascend to where his Grandfather stood, waiting for him to push, so Ron would fall.  However, Grandfather did not do this, nor did he have any intentions of doing so at the moment.

"I'm going out.  Virginia's in bed, and I need you to keep an ear out for her.  I'll be home around three."  Grandfather said and without another word he walked outside and disapparated.

Ron was too tired and too weak to even begin to think about another Holiday assignment.  So he grabbed his blanket and fell asleep on the couch in front of the fire.

He was awoken at midnight by a knocking sound, and Ron started.  Grandfather couldn't be home already!  Ron had only fallen asleep, or at least that's what it felt like. 

Ron walked over to the door and thanked the heavens above that it was not his Grandfather but his owl, with a letter from Harry attached.  Pig had apparently woken Ginny, because she came down the stairs, still half asleep with her hair disheveled.

"Ron?"  Ginny asked groggily.

"Go back to sleep Ginny.  I'm sorry that Pig woke you.  He'll be gone in a few minutes."  Ron said hastily.

"No, Ron-"

"Ginny, unless there's something I can get for you, you'd better get back to bed."  Ron said quietly.

"Ron, whom did you send Pig too so soon that he's got an owl for you?"  Ginny asked.  "It is only the second day of the holiday…"

"I know.  I just wrote Harry yesterday to let him know that I wasn't at the burrow."  Ron said.  "You better get back to bed… Grandfather might be back soon, and he wouldn't want you out of bed."

"Ron look at me straight in the eye."  Ginny said firmly.

Ron's blue eyes met his sister's brown pair.  "Ginny, what is this about?"  Ron asked.

"Did you hit the muggles?  Don't look away either!"  Ginny warned.

"I hit them in order to defend myself Ginny."  Ron said seriously.  "I thought they'd kill me.  I almost passed out in front of them, but somehow I managed to get here first."

"Did you really fall asleep outside?"  Ginny asked.

"Yes, Ginny.  It's confusing to me too.  I know it doesn't make any sense, but I just remember closing my eyes and thinking to myself, and then I was waking up… I swear _everything_ I told Grandfather this afternoon was the truth!"  Ron said fervently.

Ginny didn't have to study her brother's face a minute longer, though she did, to find out the truth.  Ron never lied to her, ever, and if he had he wouldn't have dared to look Ginny in the eyes while lying to her.  Ginny knew her brother like the back of her hand.  She could tell if he was up to something, when he was lying, and she could tell when he was truly hurt by just looking at his eyes.

"You aren't lying."  Ginny whispered.  "But then Grandfather's making a mistake!"

"What do you mean?"  Ron asks.  He didn't think Ginny would love Grandfather as much, if she knew Ron was being hurt.  Surely, he didn't tell Ginny his plans!

"Grandfather's sent an owl to mum _and_ dad saying you beat up local muggles, and that you lied straight to his face!"  Ginny cried.

Ron breathed deeply.  His father would hate him now!

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway.  Grandfather will think what he wants, and he's in charge not them at the moment."  Ron said miserably.

"I'll let him know he's wrong first thing in the morning!  He may not listen to you, but he always listens to me!"  Ginny said excitedly.  She thought that if perhaps Grandfather were proven wrong about Ron, he'd stop being so mean to him.

"No!"  Ron said quickly.  "Ginny, correcting him won't do me any good.  He'll just think I asked you to lie for me, and then what would he think of you?  Well the same, but I mean he'd know you were up.  Speaking of which, you shouldn't be.  Grandfather can come home anytime."

"Ron… you're going to be yelled at for something you didn't do!"  Ginny said anxiously.

"I only listen when I want to."  Ron lied reassuringly to Ginny.  "But I will be yelled at for something I did do, if I you don't go to bed!  Grandfather will see that I allowed you to stay up."

"Well, I'll correct mum and dad in private when they come on Saturday."  Ginny said.

"Don't!"  Ron said.  "If mum and dad spoke to Grandfather about it afterwards, he'd think you went behind his back, which you would actually be doing.  He would be hurt, and you don't want to hurt Grandfather, do you?"  Ron asked.

"No, but that's not right for you to be punished."  Ginny said.

"What's the worse they can do?"  Ron asked raising his eyebrow.

"Well mum's going to yell herself hoarse, and dad… I honestly don't know.  He might shout at you a bit…" Ginny said.

"And I told you I have selective hearing.  I only listen when I choose to."  Ron lied.  He wanted selective hearing, but he seemed to hear everything, though he didn't quite understand it all.

Ginny sighed.  "All right.  Well goodnight."  Ginny hugged her brother before running back upstairs to bed.

Ron sighed.  She wanted to help so badly, but she didn't know the worst of it.  Ron was grateful for that.

Ron grabbed the envelope with his name on it from Pig's leg.  He walked down the basement stairs throwing Pig into his cage and tossing him some owl treats.  Ron then went back up the stairs and stole into the kitchen filling Pig's water dish with water.  He then went back downstairs into the basement and gave Pig his water, before finally returning upstairs to read the letter Harry had written him.

_Ron,_

_            Despite what you may believe I am not your complaint box.  Any more complaints about Hermione will be forwarded to her, but it's not as if she doesn't know by now!  Right now I'm at Ms. Figg's house.  She's the auror who protects me on Privet Drive.  By the way she's the auror who told Dumbledore it wasn't safe for me to go to the burrow, because it wasn't safe for you, the twins, or Ginny.  So I'll apologize for her.  I'm sorry that I can't go to the burrow, but she said something wasn't right about it.  Anyway, I'm fine, Ron.  Honestly.  _

_Oh, and don't worry about me feeling guilty about you being at your Grandfather's.  I had no intention of feeling anything but great joy, well while I'm not in the Dursley's presence.  Ron, you know what your problem is?  You're a spoiled brat!  And we both know it has nothing to do with money.  You've always gotten your way.  How dare your parents send you to your Grandfather's house to protect you?  Oh no, you have to live with a relative, whom is a bit strict!  What is the world coming to?_

_No, but seriously it doesn't sound like you wanted to stay at your Grandfather's.  I can't imagine why you wouldn't.  Your whole family's great.  And if this has anything to do with you being bored… I have tons of chores on Privet Drive to be done._

_Also, thanks for the reminder about Fred and George… but as of now, the muggles haven't treated me any worse than usual.  They just ignore me is all, but I wouldn't want their attention anyway._

_As for Hermione, I didn't know that she was going to Bulgaria, but that's her decision to make, not yours.  The competition is over, and she's not betraying me now, nor has she ever.  Though there was that time where you didn't believe me!  So don't even start._

_Now, do you think you could get along all right a week without me writing to you?  I mean you didn't even wait twenty-four hours.  I'll talk to you soon.  – Harry_

_P.S. I saw Snuffles and he says hello._****

 Ron laughed.  Harry didn't know anything either.  Oh yea, Ron was being spoiled all right.  Ron had spared him the facts that his Grandfather hated him, and he'd sent Pig off before he fell down the stairs, but he wouldn't have told Harry about that either.  Ron read the part about Hermione never betraying Harry… Ron laughed.  They may have been wrong, but she got Harry's Firebolt taken away, without talking to Ron and Harry first!  Sure she had been right about it being sent by Sirius Black, but it wasn't intended to kill Harry!  Ron tried to think of other times to point out when he wrote back in a week, but couldn't think of any.  He also reckoned he'd forget by then or he could even be dead by that time.

Ron yawned and returned to sleeping on the couch, while waiting for his Grandfather to come home.

Grandfather didn't knock on the door when he got home at three thirty.  He opened and shut the door very quietly and stumbled quietly into the living room, to see his youngest Grandson sleeping on his couch with his shoes on!  A drunken rage built up inside of him, while he surveyed the living room.  Despite the fact that Ron was on the couch with a blanket over top of him, nothing seemed out of place… except for a letter lying on the living room table.  Grandfather read the letter.

Ron yelled out in pain and was brought to his feet as somebody yanked his arm forcefully, in the middle of his sleep.  Ron gasped.  Had he fallen asleep so deeply that he hadn't heard his Grandfather knock?  He was in enough trouble as it was!  He didn't need another reason to be hit!  Then again, he never needed a reason to be hit by his Grandfather, for he just did it anyway.

His Grandfather punched Ron across the face.  Tears came to Ron's eyes.  "Shh!  Be quiet!"  Grandfather hissed darting his eyes to the stairs listening for noise.  There was none.

Grandfather pushed Ron toward the basement, gripping his arm tightly.  He swung open the door, and Ron gripped the railing so he wouldn't fall when he was pushed.  Grandfather shut the door behind them, and never made an attempt to push Ron down the stairs.  Instead he lead the way pulling Ron's arm forcefully as they descended the stairs.  On the bottom stair, Grandfather shoved Ron to the cement basement floor.

"You have some complaints about me, do you?"  Grandfather asked loosening his belt.

"No!"  Ron cried backing up as far away as he could.

"You lie again!  It's what your friend said… how dare you make others feel guilty for you being placed here?  You should be nothing but grateful to have a Grandfather who takes you in!  Your friend's damn right too!  You are a spoiled brat, but you know what they say… 'Spare the rod, spoil the child.'  Well, like you said, I'm a bit strict, and I'll beat all the rottenness out of you!"  Grandfather raged with his belt in his hand snapping it together.

Ron was horrified of his own stupidity!  Why had he left that letter on the table?

"Come here."  Grandfather said dangerously pointing to the bed.

"No."  Ron cried.

"Ronald, you're already in enough trouble as it is.  God help you, if I have to tell you again to get here."  Grandfather warned.

Ron swallowed hard.  He'd never been hit with a belt, but he knew by the sound of his Grandfather cracking it that it would hurt terribly.  Ron knew if he stayed on the floor, his Grandfather would wear himself out, raising his arm higher in the air to make the power last to where Ron was on the ground.  If he walked over to the bed, it'd make it easier for his Grandfather, and a lot more painful.  He didn't move.

Grandfather walked dangerously over to Ron and swung the belt, hitting Ron sharply in his side.  Ron cried out in pain and kicked his Grandfather in defense.  Ron inwardly cried.  What made him defend himself, now of all times, when things couldn't get worse!

Grandfather stumbled from old age and his excessive drinking, but to Ron's unfortunate, but grateful surprise, he didn't fall down.  It was unfortunate, because he didn't pass out, but Ron was grateful, because he'd be in worse trouble if he had.

Grandfather's eyes were angrier than Ron had ever seen them.  He stormed over to Ron and started punching him mercilessly.  "WHO IN THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?"  Grandfather raged, still punching him in the stomach, in the chest.  Now he started kicking Ron hard in his legs.  Ron tried to control his breathing as he sobbed and clutched different areas of his body where he was being hit.

"Stop!  Please!  Please stop!"  Ron cried softly in between sobs.

Grandfather yanked him roughly to his feet by his hair, and threw him on his bed, where he pinned him using one arm to hold his neck down.  Ron tried kicking his Grandfather before he could do anything, but felt a sharp pain hitting the back of his legs.  His Grandfather had hit the back of his legs, what seemed to Ron to be about an hour as the belt overlapped welts he was giving him.  Ron felt his knees collapse from under him, and he fell back on to his legs.

This setback didn't seem to bother Grandfather as he continued to whip Ron, only moving to his back.

Ron screamed into his arms, crying and sobbing into them as the belt came down beating his back painfully.  

"STOP!  PLEASE STOP!"  Ron screamed.  When the belt just came down quicker and more painfully, Ron thought desperately and found his only key to saving him.  "GINNY!  GINNY HELP!"  Ron yelled screaming towards the ceiling hoping Ginny would hear him.  She had after all, heard Pig pecking at the window.

Grandfather had indeed stopped whipping Ron.  Now he had yanked him roughly to his feet, and turned him around to see his face.  He hit Ron hard across the face, and Ron couldn't help but just cry.  Grandfather shook Ron extremely hard for what seemed like five minutes.  Then he hit Ron across the face over and over again as he yelled at him.

"HOW DARE YOU!  HOW DARE YOU CALL VIRGINIA THAT CHILDISH NAME!  YOU'D DO BEST TO LEARN HOW TO RESPECT A YOUNG LADY, ESPECIALLY MY GRANDDAUGHTER!  AND HOW ARE YOU SO WEAK AS TO CALL OUT FOR MY GRANDDAUGHTER TO HELP YOU?  YOU FOOLISH BOY!  IF YOU DARE TELL VIRGINIA ANYTHING, ANYTHING AGAINST ME… YOU'LL REGRET THE DAY YOU WERE BORN!"  Grandfather raged.

Finally, all of the hitting stopped, though the pain wouldn't go away, not for a long time to come yet.  Ron continued to sob into his arms on the bed, fearing his Grandfather's next blows.  Grandfather seemed to be calming down though.

"Just so you know, since you're so bored… I'll assign you muggle chores, loads of them so you can never remember the meaning of being bored.  And just so your friend doesn't get anymore, bad impressions, your owl privileges are being taken away.  You'll give your owl to Virginia first thing in the morning.  If Virginia notices any more bruises, tell her your face just swelled because you didn't have ice for the damage done after the muggle fight.  If she doesn't believe you, find a good excuse.  I warn you Ronald… If you don't want Virginia to hate you, you'll agree with everything I say.  You may think she loves you, but I know a few things that are sure to turn her against you.  You don't want that Ronald."  Grandfather warned.

Ron still sobbed into his arms, not making any response to his Grandfather's words.

"Get some sleep, for when I wake up, you're going to be waking up, and then you can look forward to a whole days of chores.  I mean that's what your problem was, wasn't it?  You were too bored?"  Grandfather asked.  

Not expecting Ron to answer, Grandfather put his belt back on and headed up the stairs leaving Ron crying.

It was a good half hour before Ron finally managed to calm his sobs.  He crawled on to the bed, which was without a bedspread because he'd left his upstairs on the couch, and he cried himself to sleep.

Ron jerked awake as he heard the basement door swing violently open four hours later.  He heard his Grandfather's voice from the top of the stairs.

"Ronald, are you awake?"  Grandfather asks from the top of the stairs.

"Yes sir."  Ron said loudly so his Grandfather could hear him.

"Rise and Shine.  Get dressed and come upstairs.  Also bring that owl's cage with you."  Grandfather said.  

Ron heard the door shut and quickly stood up to change.  Ron had to stifle a cry as pain jolted throughout his body.  His back and legs stung and throbbed badly; his stomach and chest ached; his face hurt worse than ever, and he had to fight to keep his left eye open.  Dry blood had closed the bruised eye shut throughout the night.  His shoulders were sore as well from being yanked and shaken so roughly.  Ron feared Ginny's reaction.  She'd notice if he felt so much pain.

Ron dressed with difficulty and then grabbed Pig's cage, regretfully waking the hyper owl up.  Ron also brought the bag of owl treats with him as he walked up the stairs.  The things he owned were rubbish, sure, but to be honest, he'd rather have Pig as annoying as he was than not have him at all.  Pig was the one true thing that had been Ron's besides his mum's homemade sweaters, and his wand.  Pig hadn't been passed down from anybody.  Sirius Black had given him to Ron and now Ron was giving him to Ginny, who Grandfather in a heartbeat when asked would buy the best owl there was for Ginny to have.  No, this wasn't a hand-me-down thing this was a punishment.

Ron entered the kitchen to find his Grandfather and Ginny talking over breakfast.  It was only eight o'clock in the morning.  Ron wished they would've slept two more hours, so he could've.

"Ron!"  Ginny cried and to Ron's surprise she looked disappointed at him rather than concerned.  "Why must you always act so stupid?  You tried to get your revenge on those muggles at half past two in the morning?  Looks like they got you again, and if they came off worse, I'd hate to see what they look like."

"Now, now Virginia dear, he'll pay dearly when your parents stop by on Saturday.  In the meantime, he wanted to give you something that you deserve.  Foolish boys don't deserve pets, as they're so irresponsible and unreliable.  I'm sure you can take care of that owl much better than Ronald could.  Ronald, give Virginia the owl that she rightfully deserves for turning out so well after you turned out so wrong."  Grandfather said nonchalantly.

Ron placed Pig who was currently going crazy in his cage on the table and pushed the bag of owl treats next to it.

"I'm sorry for not being somebody you could look up to."  Ron said hoarsely.  He had cried himself hoarse.

Ginny looked up at Ron with tears in her eyes.  She didn't mean to make her brother feel so badly.  She just couldn't believe how badly he was messing up.

"Now Ronald," Grandfather began, clearing his throat.  "I'd like you to cut the lawn.  As you're underage and can't perform magic, I suggest you try using that old lawnmower in the shed.  If it doesn't work, as it's so old… you may have to try and fix it."

"Yes sir."  Ron answered.  He wanted desperately to ask for food.  He hadn't eaten since his first evening at the manor.  Ron ignored his stomach and excused himself from the room.  He went outside, behind the house and went into the shed to find a muggle lawnmower.  He pulled it out of the shed and tried starting it up, but when he pulled the string that seemed to be the thing to start it, nothing happened.  He pulled it a few times, faster, but still nothing happened.  Ron knew nothing about muggles.  He only knew this was a lawnmower, because it said it on the side.  He went through the old shed looking for anything that might make this thing go.  He looked on shelves, under shelves, any space for some kind of muggle instruction booklet.

Finally, about after an hour of literally just searching the garage, he came upon a lawnmower manual that was in a drawer.  He opened it and actually read the thing, finding that the lawnmower needed gasoline.  Now where would he find gasoline?  Ron thought a moment and looked around.  He found a large plastic container that held gasoline.  He read the instructions and poured the right amount of gasoline in.

Ron got the lawnmower to work and looked around his Grandfather's property.  There was a lot of grass in the back yard alone.  The back yard went as far back to the woods.  Ron groaned.  This would take him until noon.

Ron started pushing the lawnmower across the field.  A few pebbles and grass blades hit Ron's ankles.  They were bare because his pants were too short for him.  Ron mowed the lawn, finding it a bit quicker than he thought it would take to move the machine across the yard.

It was eleven o'clock, when a very sweaty Ron finally reentered the manor.  He had taken his robe off, as it was so hot.  It may have been England, but the sun was still shining.  He wanted to take his shirt off but thought better of it, as he had bruises and welts all over him.

Ron found his Grandfather and his sister in the kitchen now having a cup of tea.  "Grandfather, I mowed the lawn.  Can I have something to eat now, please?"  Ron asked.  He didn't care if he'd pay for it later.  Ron was starving now.  Grandfather wouldn't deny Ron food in front of Ginny; surely he was in a winning situation.

"I'll make a sandwich for you Ron."  Ginny volunteered eagerly, standing up.

"No, I'll make one, if I'm allowed?"  Ron asked his Grandfather again.

Grandfather looked out the window looking for a mistake to punish Ron for.  "Make yourself a sandwich, you're going to need it.  Since you proved yourself useful at something, despite the fact that it's a muggle job, you can do some muggle work for me.

Ron went to make himself a sandwich, but didn't make it into the kitchen.  He stopped at his Grandfather's muggle insult.  Even Ginny looked horrified at her Grandfather.

"Go on then Ronald.  Eat up.  You only have twenty minutes."  Grandfather said looking at his clock.

"Yes sir."  Ron said miserably.  He didn't want to fight with his Grandfather, not before he ate something anyway.  He didn't know when he'd have permission to eat again. 


	3. Ginny's Escape

**Misunderstood**

**Chapter Three**

**Ginny's Escape**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the plot to this story.  All characters that you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling and Scholastic and all them people.

As the first week of their stay at Grandfather's was coming to an end, Ginny found her brother in a lot less trouble as he was kept busy from dawn to dusk with muggle chores.  Her Grandfather stopped going out at night to make sure Ron did a holiday assignment the correct way, and to make sure that Ron was indeed asleep, before he went off to bed.  Ginny couldn't help but feel angry with her brother.  From what she was told by Grandfather and Ron, Grandfather had to stay home when he could very well be helping somebody feel better.  Ron had told her that their Grandfather was a retired Mediwizard, which was true, but he also said that he was probably helping out a friend, as older families didn't trust a lot of new Mediwizards, which had been a lie to cover for his Grandfather's drinking nights.  Grandfather had also told Ginny that he had to stay home, to make sure he'd stay in the house all night.  Grandfather had told Ginny that Ron had kicked him, for trying to stop him from sneaking out to seek his revenge on the muggles.  Ginny had never known her brother to act so foolish, but she was sure he was finished, after the load of work Grandfather made him do.

Ginny looked up from an essay she was assigned to do for the holidays.  She couldn't concentrate with her brother's behavior on her mind.  She pulled the curtain back and looked outside to see Ron hammering something.

"Is something wrong Virginia?"  Grandfather asked.

"Grandfather, what is Ron doing?"  Ginny asked.

"He's building me a fence or trying to do so anyway."  Grandfather answered watching Ron from the window.

"Grandfather, I don't know what's wrong with him.  He's usually never so stupid.  He's usually good at home.  Well, I mean he never tried sneaking out or ever hurting my parents.  This just doesn't make any sense.  I'm starting to wonder if he hit his head too hard when he fell down the stairs our first night here."  Ginny said thoughtfully.

A knock from the front door interrupted Ginny's thoughts.

"Mum and dad are here!"  Ginny cried excitedly as she raced to the door.

She opened it and hugged her parents tightly.

"Mum!  Dad!  Oh I missed you so much!  Grandfather's is great, but I feel like I haven't seen you in ages!  Do you like my new robes?"  Ginny asked excitedly.

"Oh, Ginny they're very nice!  We missed you too."  Mr. Weasley said beaming at his daughter before hugging her.

Grandfather entered the room.  Mr. Weasley straightened himself up.  Mrs. Weasley's father had never liked him, and was never very welcoming around him.  However, he had a smile on his face when he looked at Mrs. Weasley upon entering the room.

"Dad, thank you for helping us out."  Mrs. Weasley said apprehensively.

"Molly, you know I'd love to help you out any time."  Grandfather said crossing the room to hug his daughter, which she returned.  Grandfather pulled away and looked at Mr. Weasley.  "Ronald's outside.  I'm assuming you wanted to talk to him."

"Oh yes, we'll be having quite a few words with him!"  Mrs. Weasley said and Ginny could see from the anger in Mrs. Weasley's eyes that Ron was in a lot of trouble.

"Well, let- let _Arthur_ speak to him.  You spend time with Virginia."  Grandfather said.  

"Yes, Molly dear, I need to speak with Ron alone anyway, so I hope you'll excuse me."  Mr. Weasley said and went outside around to the side of the house where Ron was hammering a piece of the fence into the ground.

Ron stopped hammering as he heard somebody walk up behind him.  He assumed it was his Grandfather, but said nothing and didn't turn to look.  He felt a gentle hand rest on his shoulder.  Ron flinched, as his Grandfather used to yank him roughly by his shoulder, but relaxed when the hand just rested there reassuringly.  Ron turned around to see his father standing there.

"Dad…" Ron started wanting to explain the truth, but he knew he couldn't.  "I'm sorry."

Mr. Weasley raised his hand and touched Ron's bruised face gently.  The bruises were fading, but they were still there.  Ron flinched but relaxed again, remembering who was touching him.  His father would never hurt him.

"Ron, I'm more disappointed than I've ever been at any of your brothers put together, and a few days ago, I thought I couldn't be more disappointed at anybody after Percy sided with the Ministry against his own family, but Ron… I've been trying to protect muggles my whole life, and you're one of the people who goes and hurts them!  You hurt me Ron… I always thought you… But it doesn't matter now." Mr. Weasley sighed sadly.

Ron wanted to cry, but he had no tears left.  He had to make his father understand!  "Dad!  You don't understand!"  Ron tried desperately, but what could he say that wouldn't get him in trouble with his Grandfather?  "I didn't use magic to hurt them."

Mr. Weasley looked horrified at his son.  "It doesn't make a difference _Ronald_… you still hurt them and you admitted it to me.  I didn't want to believe your Grandfather, I came here hoping for it to be a mistake, but you confirm what he says, and you don't sound sorry about it at all!  That kills me Ron!"  Mr. Weasley said in tears.

"Dad, I said I'm sorry!"  Ron cried.

"I heard you say it, but you didn't mean it."  Mr. Weasley said throatily.  

Mr. Weasley went back inside the house.  Ron ran after him, but it turned out that he had only came in to say goodbye to Ginny before he disapparated.

However, Ron had run into his mother coming in the house.

"HOW DARE YOU HURT MUGGLES?  YOU KNOW YOU'RE FATHER WORKS TO PROTECT THEM!  HIS OWN SON BETRAYED HIM!  OF COURSE HE'S GOING TO LEAVE LIKE THAT!  YOU'VE ASHAMED US AND DISGRACED HIM!  WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?  ARE YOU STILL MAD AT US FOR SENDING YOU HERE?  IS THAT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT?  YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN EVERYTHING HERE!  NOW YOU'RE DOING MUGGLE CHORES, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SEEM TO HANDLE FREE TIME CIVILLY!"  Mrs. Weasley yelled.

Ron had had it and ran out of the house through the woods as far as he could run.  He couldn't be blamed for something he didn't do a moment longer.

Ron returned well after his mother left, and his Grandfather wasn't happy.  "Where have you been?"  Grandfather asked.

"I don't know you seem to have the answers to everything else I've done, why don't you tell me where I went.  I mean you're going to tell my parents anyway.  I might as well know so I can play along."  Ron said miserably.

"My fence won't build itself, you know."  Grandfather said.  He seemed to ignore Ron's words.  Ron would pay for them later, now that his parents had visited, they wouldn't be back for at least a week, and he could be beaten again.

"No, I guess it won't.  I suppose you'll have to raise your wand and find a spell that will build it for you."  Ron said insolently.

"You'd do best to lose the attitude now, as you're already in enough trouble."  Grandfather said.

"You'd do best to find a spell, because I'm not building your damn fence."  Ron said boldly.

"Perhaps, not today."  Grandfather said.

"Nope, not today, not tomorrow, not next week.  Read my lips.  I am not building you a fence."  Ron said.

Ron was sure Grandfather would strike at him, but luckily Ginny came down the stairs.

"Ron!  Where have you been?"  Ginny asked worriedly.

"Not here."  Ron answered calmly.

"Mum's very mad at you.  Why couldn't you just have put up with her?  She was only yelling at you, which isn't anything you don't deserve."  Ginny said.

Ron's eyes closed at her words, nothing he didn't deserve, eh?  He wanted nothing more than to tell Ginny everything, but he hadn't told his parents, and he'd still be stuck here tomorrow no matter whom he told.

"I'm not in the mood for a lecture, _Virginia_.  I'm in the mood for dinner and then bed."  Ron said.

"Well you defied me, so you won't be eating any of my food, and I'm going out tonight, so you need to wait up."  Grandfather said.

"I'll eat your food and we'll see about me waiting up."  Ron said standing up and striding into the kitchen.

Grandfather did nothing to stop him, and Ron knew it was only because he'd pay for it later.  Well, what if Ron weren't there later?  What if Ron took off in the middle of the night, like Grandfather said he had done nights before?  Ron sighed in defeat realizing he couldn't leave, because no matter what, his Grandfather would be drunk, and he didn't want Ginny to get hurt.  Grandfather would never hurt Ginny, but Ron couldn't take a chance of it happening either.

Ron had a fulfilling dinner and showered before his Grandfather left.  Ginny was in bed at nine, this was also before Grandfather left.  Grandfather had left with the same warning he had given Ron the first few days of his visit.  "Wait up for me, keep an ear out for Virginia, and don't you dare hurt her or mess up my house."

Ron knew he'd better wait up for his Grandfather.  So he brought up a random book, a scroll of parchment and a quill and inkbottle.  He started to read a chapter on Transfiguration to refresh his memory for the essay he was to write, when he heard a door open upstairs.  Ron decided to ignore it.  Ginny probably just had to use the bathroom.  As Ron continued to read he heard light footsteps coming down the stairs.

Ron sighed irritably.  "Ginny, I thought Grandfather said for you to be in bed, and stay there."  Ron said.

He turned around to find his sister in tears, looking very upset.  Her hair was in two braids that were a bit frizzy from being laid on, and she wore a lavender nightgown with slippers on her feet.

"Ginny, what's wrong?"  Ron asked concernedly, now closing his book and putting it on the table.

"I'm worried about you Ron!  You've never been so cold towards me, and I don't know what I've done!  You've never acted so bad before, and it scares me.  What did I do?"  Ginny asked breaking down into tears.

"Ginny, you haven't done anything!  I'm just a little messed up right now.  I'm sorry you think it's you."  Ron said.

"You never call me Virginia, and you did earlier.  Not even when you're mad at me do you ever call me that, yet you did."  Ginny cried.

"Ginny, Grandfather told me to call you Virginia, because 'Ginny' isn't what he considers a respectful name for his Granddaughter."  Ron explained hugging his sister as she cried.

Ginny wiped her tears and looked at Ron anxiously.  "So, you aren't mad at me?"  Ginny asked.

"Of course not."  Ron said casually.

Ginny smiled.  "Then here, these came for you, only I'm not supposed to give them to you.  I'm supposed to write them back saying you're grounded and lost owling privileges, but I thought you might want to read and write back anyway.  Only don't tell Grandfather, I don't want him to be mad at me for going behind his back."  Ginny said quietly.

"I don't think he could ever be mad at you, but don't worry, you know I'd never squeal on you."  Ron said taking the letters from his sister.

"They came with Hedwig, but I sent her back.  I want to give Pig a bit of air, so I figure I'd use him to send any letters you might want to write."  Ginny said.

"Thanks Ginny."  Ron said smiling.

"Your welcome.  Leave them in my top desk drawer if I'm asleep."  Ginny said.

"All right.  Goodnight."  Ron said watching as his sister ran up the stairs back into her bedroom.

Ron looked at the top parchment it was from Harry.  He read it.

_Ron-_

_            Feel free to write me anytime now.  I was only joking about you giving me a week's break of letters.  Now I'm bored.  The Dursley's don't even make do chores anymore, because Snuffles is still a threat to them.  But I miss the wizarding world terribly, and as you're the only friend I know who can still be informed on the happenings of Quidditch and such, I'm begging you to let me know of any news, Quidditch related to Dark Wizard Activity.  I wish the warning were lifted from the burrow already.  I actually wish nothing bad would've been thought to be around there to begin with, so I could come and visit.  You don't know how bad it is to be separated from the rest of what feels like the world.  I can't wait until September so I can see you and Hermione again.  It's only a week into the holidays, how terrible is that?_

_            Speaking of Hermione, she wrote to me and asked me to send you her letter to you.  She was using a delivery owl, and only thought for it to stop once.  She told me she's having a fascinating time in Bulgaria and that she's learning lots.  That's just like her to learn everywhere she goes.  However, I would want to learn a few Quidditch moves from Krum.  I know you're probably thinking I'm a traitor too, but I was just sticking up for Hermione, or trying to.  I hope you and Ginny are well. – __Harry___

Ron wrote a quick letter to Harry and then grabbed the second piece of parchment that was written from Hermione.

_Dear Ron,_

_            How has your holiday been so far?  I know it's only been a week, but so much has happened and it's gone by so quickly, and I thought I'd write you to see how you were.  Harry let me know about your letter to him not even twenty-four hours after we departed at King's Cross Station.  I'm sorry that you can't be at the burrow, but I'm sure you're having a wonderful time at your Grandfather's.  I'm sorry for not telling you sooner that I'd made up my mind to go to Bulgaria, but I was afraid you'd be mad at me, though Harry told me you couldn't care less._

_            I've learned a lot about Durmstrangs and Quidditch from Viktor.  I've been to two of his practices and seen a game against Transylvania.  Oh it was terribly exciting to watch.  I've finished my holiday assignments already.  I'm sure you haven't even started.  I've also read through a few of Viktor's old school books.  They teach a lot more about the Dark Arts alone and the Defense Against them.  Well, I hope you and Ginny are having a great time at your Grandfather's!  You have an owl, so write back!_

_Love From,_

_Hermione_

Ron rolled his eyes as he read the letter.  He gave a short reply to her as well, and brought his letters of reply up to Ginny's room where he tucked them into her top dresser drawer.  Ginny was fast asleep.

Ron ran back downstairs and grabbed the two original letters.  He brought them downstairs and tucked them away into his trunk.

Ron climbed back upstairs to the living room and picked up his reading where he last left off.  He was going to impress McGonagall for sure.

Ron was on his Potions Essay by the time his Grandfather entered at four in the morning.  Ron gathered his stuff looked from his Grandfather's drunken eyes to the basement door and walked downstairs in defeat.  He knew there was no way out.  There was nobody who could help him.

Grandfather made his way down the basement steps carefully, afraid that Ron was going to pull something.  However, Ron just lay on his stomach on his bed with his face buried in his arms, fearing his Grandfather more with each drunken footstep.

Grandfather took off his belt and snapped it once before beginning to beat Ron's backside with it.  Ron gripped the corner of his pillow tightly as he cried into his arms.  He wouldn't be able to sit comfortably for a week!

"Ow!  Ow, stop!"  Ron cried loudly, only causing the belt to come down harder and faster.  "Stop!  Please stop!  I'm sorry!  I'm sorry!"  Ron yelled.

"You weren't sorry this afternoon though, were you?"  Grandfather asked loudly as he continued to whip him.

Ron swung his legs off the bed and tumbled to the floor.  He couldn't take it anymore.  He thought if he just cooperated, he'd have a shorter punishment, but his back couldn't take it.  "Please Grandfather!  Stop!  I'm sorry!  I'll build your fence now!  Please just stop!"  Ron cried covering his face.

Ginny didn't bother to rub her eyes awake as she crossed the hall to use the bathroom.  After she was finished, she washed her hands and was about to continue her sleep, when a sound caught her attention.  She thought she heard her Grandfather yelling. She opened his door a crack to see if he was in there, and to her surprise he wasn't.  She walked to the landing above the top stair on the second floor and saw Ron's door was open.  She listened intently.

"IF YOU EVER, EVER WALK OUT ON MY DAUGHTER AGAIN, I'LL KILL YOU!"  Grandfather yelled.

Ginny tiptoed down the stairs as fast as she could.  She ran over to the basement door, and the yelling was louder.  She could also hear Ron… Ron was crying!  Ron never cried!  

Ginny walked softly down the basement steps.  She saw Grandfather punching something near the ground by the far wall.  She walked over to her Grandfather seeing Ron on the ground, she pulled his hand back.

"Grandfather stop!"  Ginny cried.

Grandfather turned around swinging a punch, and hitting Ginny hard in the face.  She fell to the floor with a cry of pain.  She covered her face.

"Virginia!"  Grandfather gasped in surprise.  He started towards her, but Ron stopped him.

"Don't touch her or I'll kill you!"  Ron yelled standing up painfully but determinedly.

Grandfather picked up his belt, which had lain on the floor forgotten, and beat Ron with it.  "LOOK WHAT YOU DID!  YOU WERE SO LOUD YOU WOKE YOUR SISTER!  LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!"  Grandfather yelled.

"Grandfather, please, please, stop it!"  Ginny sobbed.

Grandfather stopped.  He put his belt back on and turned to Ginny.  "Virginia, I didn't mean to hit you.  I'd never hit you, if I'd known it was you.  I'm so, so sorry!  Let's go get some ice for your face.  Oh God, I'll never forgive myself."  Grandfather cried.

"Grandfather it's all right.  You didn't know it was me.  I know you'd never hurt me."  Ginny said softly.  "But you thought it was Ron!  You've been hurting Ron, all this time?"

"Is that what he told you?"  Grandfather asked.

"No, he didn't have to."  Ginny cried.  "How could you hurt Ron?"

"You don't understand Virginia!  I came home, and he wasn't here!  I had to search for an hour before he finally came home.  He was fighting again!"  Grandfather said. "You do believe me, don't you?"

Ginny looked horrified from her brother to her Grandfather.

"Answer me!"  Grandfather snapped shaking her.

"Yes, I believe you."  Ginny cried.

Grandfather smacked Ginny hard across the face.  Ginny cried.

"Don't lie to me, Virginia.  You don't believe me… I can tell, but you'd best believe me if you want things to stay the way they were, do you hear me?"  Grandfather asked.

"Yes Grandfather!"  Ginny cried frantically.

"Good, then go on up to bed."  Grandfather said.

"Goodnight Grandfather.  I love you."  Ginny said.  She hugged and kissed her Grandfather goodnight, as she usually would and climbed the stairs, getting out of the basement.

"You'll pay for this tomorrow night, you can count on that.  And so help you if Ginny finds out.  If she comes down here again, I'll hit her, and then you'll pay for it."  Grandfather said.

Grandfather put his belt back on and walked up the stairs.  He walked up the stairs to Ginny's room, and let himself in.  Ginny was lying in bed crying.

"Where's your owl?"  Grandfather asked noticing the cage empty.

"It's delivering the message to Ron's friends, about him not being able to write them anymore, because of the fight with the muggles."  Ginny said.

"Your parents are coming in the morning.  I'm writing them to let them know that Ronald hit you.  You wouldn't have come down if he hadn't been yelling… so it really was his fault.  You're going to tell them that you tried to stop him from sneaking out at half past two in the morning, and when he wouldn't come in you threatened to tell on him, and he turned around and hit you.  Do you understand?"  Grandfather asked.

Ginny opened her mouth horrified.  Ron would never hit her, ever!  They already were angry with him as it was.

"Virginia, you're going to say this and it will save you and Ron from worse beatings.  Why were you sent here in the first place?  Because they have nowhere else to send you.  You and Ronald are stuck here until the warning is lifted, and who knows when that will be?  I warn you not to go against my word… do you understand?"  Grandfather asked.

"Yes sir, it was Ron's fault."  Ginny said.

"Good girl, now get some sleep."  Grandfather said and he left the room.

The next morning Ginny and Ron sat on the couch waiting for their mother to arrive.  Ron couldn't risk his sister's back for the truth, which wouldn't help anything.  If the truth would've helped, he would've started to tell it ages ago.  As it was, nothing would change no matter what they said, they'd still be at their Grandfather's.  If they lied, they'd be okay, if they told the truth, Grandfather would somehow manage to turn it on them, and they had nowhere to go anyway, so things would only get worse.

Mrs. Weasley entered the front door with Mr. Weasley just behind her.  She slapped Ron across the face; it was something he was getting used to.  

"How dare you hit your sister?  And for something so stupid too!  You knew your Grandfather would catch you anyway!  Look at your sister's face!  Look what you did to her!"  Mrs. Weasley raged pointing to Ginny.

Ron's lips quivered as he looked at his sister's beautiful, but bruised face, if he had only been quiet or maybe if he hadn't been so defiant none of this would've happened.

"Apologize!"  Mrs. Weasley snapped.

"I'm sorry Ginny."  Ron said, and he meant it.

"Ronald, you've been only disappointing me since this summer began!  First you hurt me, and then you physically harm your sister!  Your sister, who has always looked up to you!  Your sister, who I've always made you look out for.  You harmed your younger sister who almost died three years ago!  You're an older brother Ronald Patrick Weasley!  You are supposed to protect her, not hurt her!  I can't believe you!  I'm terribly ashamed of you!  Of all my children… I thought I could in time forgive you for hurting me, because you're a teenager, and teenagers do crazy things, but this isn't a stupid mistake, this is a crime Ronald!  I'll never forgive you for this.  Every time I look at Ginny, I'll still see the bruise you gave her.  I'm terribly disappointed in you.  And if the warning was lifted today, I wouldn't take you home!"  Mr. Weasley said despairingly.

Tears ran down Ron's face.  "I'm sorry."  Ron cried.

"Yea, well… you should be."  Mr. Weasley said gravely.

Molly shook her head at Ron and hugged Ginny.  "We'll come and get _you_ as soon as the warning's lifted.  If he hits you again, you write me, and I'll make sure he isn't able to again."  Molly said to Ginny.

"Yes mum."  Ginny cried.

They left the manor and disapparated.

"Ronald, a fence needs to be built.  Virginia, dear, I thought we'd go out to lunch.  What do you say?"  Grandfather asked.

"I'd love to."  Ginny said happily and Ron hung his head in defeat.  Ginny really did believe Grandfather even after seeing the truth!

Ron came in well after dark sweating freely.  He had built a fence along the perimeter of the large property that was owned by Grandfather O'Riley.  Grandfather could've easily waved a wand and the pegs would've dug themselves right where they needed to be in the ground, but he had made Ron do this as punishment.

Grandfather was just finishing up dinner with Ginny in the dining room, when Ron entered.

Ron took their empty dishes out into the sink and washed them without saying a word.

Grandfather entered the kitchen.  "Wait up for me tonight.  I'll be home earlier."  Grandfather said gripping Ron's shoulder tightly.

"Yes sir."  Ron said.

Ron sat on the couch at ten o'clock finishing the Potions essay he had started the previous evening when Ginny crept out of her room and down the stairs.  She sat next to her brother and hugged him tightly.

"I'm so sorry… I had to say what I did…" Ginny sobbed.

"Ginny, if you hadn't done everything you did, he would've hit you again and killed me.  I should be thanking you if anything.  Though I am sorry you got hit."  Ron said.

"It wasn't your fault, and you shouldn't be sorry anyway.  You shouldn't be getting hit.  Please explain to me everything the way it really happened starting with the night after the fight."  Ginny said.

"It started the night I fell down the stairs."  Ron began, shutting his Potions book.

"What do you mean?"  Ginny asked horrified.

"I was pushed."  Ron explained.

Ginny gasped.  "Oh my God, I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault."  Ron said.  "I knew Grandfather hated me since I was five."

"He couldn't have!"  Ginny cried.

"But he did.  He hated me, because I reminded him of dad.  Mum was Grandfather's only daughter, and as soon as she met dad, she left Grandfather.  So naturally Grandfather hates dad, and now me because I'm like him."  Ron explained.

"That's terrible."  Ginny said softly.

"Yea, and you remind him of mum, so naturally Grandfather loves you.  I thought it would be all right, if he paid all his attention to you and ignored me, which he was doing during the day, but when he comes home… he's not about to hurt you."  Ron said.

"Maybe his patients upset him so much, from being incurable.  Maybe if I convinced him not to go, he wouldn't be so upset!"  Ginny cried.

"Ginny, I shouldn't be telling you any of this, but you want to know the truth, right?"  Ron asked.

"Yes."  Ginny answered.

"Then you should know that Grandfather's been retired for so many years, and he isn't helping his friends… Ginny, he's out right now having a few drinks.  He's going to come home shortly…" Ron said.

"He's going to hit you again!"  Ginny cried.

"As long as it isn't you."  Ron said.

"That's not right, Ron!"  Ginny cried.

"I know, but I have a plan for you to get out of here."  Ron said.

"That wouldn't help you at all!  Ron, if I were gone, he'd kill you!  The only reason he doesn't beat you during the day, is because I'm here!"  Ginny cried.

"I'd be all right if I could just runaway, but I can't risk that with you here.  So I'm going to get you out of here."  Ron said determinedly.

"How?"  Ginny asked.

"The only person I know in your year is Colin Creevey, perhaps you could stay at his house until the warning is lifted, and when it is, and you're allowed home, you can tell mum and dad the truth."  Ron said.

"I don't know…" Ginny said.

"Well name some friends of yours that you could ask to stay over."  Ron said.

"My friends are away for the summer."  Ginny explained.

"So Colin, then?"  Ron asked.

"You're not worried about me going over to a boy's house?"  Ginny asked.

"No, because I'll kill him if anything happens.  Hermione's been over to the burrow plenty of times."  Ron said.

"That's because I was there.  The Creeveys' don't have any sisters."  Ginny explained.

"Look, trust me… these kids are from muggle families.  You write him asking if you could spend a few weeks there to learn about muggles in exchange for help on homework.  Harry's stayed over your house before; the kid will do anything to have you stay so you could talk about him.  Trust me."  Ron said.

"What if his mum wants to talk to our parents?"  Ginny asked.

"I'll forge a letter, you just write to say that it's a bad time at our home, and ask if you can stay there.  See if he's even at his house, then we'll talk about the next steps."  Ron said.

"Ron…" Ginny began.

"Ginny, go write the letter."  Ron said leaving no room for objection.

"I was just going to say thank you."  Ginny said hugging Ron.

"Oh well then your welcome."  Ron said.

Meanwhile on Privet Drive, Harry received a letter from Ron.  Harry was glad, because he was bored and looked forward to any letters from his friends.  Harry read Ron's letter.

_Harry,_

_            I know this letter is short, but I really wasn't allowed to write anything at all.  The reason I'm writing you is because I won't be allowed to owl you anymore during the rest of the time I am here at my Grandfather's.  See I got into a bit of trouble, and as I told you before he's rather strict, and my owling privileges have been taken away.  I wasn't even supposed to have read your last letter, but Ginny, being the good but sneaky little sister that she is slipped them to me and let me write back to you and Hermione rather than her writing to let you know that I can't have any more owls.  I'll write you as soon as I get back to the burrow, and I hope it's soon.  This first week has gone by too slow!  Well, hopefully you'll hear from me before September 1st, though I am in a bit of trouble with my parents as well.  Hope the muggles are treating you well!  - __Ron_

_P.S. Could you possibly send the other letter with Hedwig the next time you owl Hermione?  My Grandfather made me give Pig to Ginny, and she might need him back soon.  Thanks!_

Harry frowned.  Ron was sure leaving out a lot.  What did he do to lose his owling privileges?  Harry decided to write to Hermione, and he wondered if Ron possibly told Hermione what he did to lose his owling privileges.  He opened the letter to find the same letter only addressed to Hermione.  Harry sighed and sent the two letters with Hedwig.  This summer was only getting worse.

Ron found it terribly hard to nail shingles on his Grandfather's roof the following afternoon when he couldn't sit down without feeling terrible pain.  However, Ron found being on the roof, very fortunate when he saw Pig with a letter attached to his leg flying towards the manor.  Ron whistled for it's attention, and luckily the owl flew to Ron rather than enter the dining room where Ginny was having tea with her Grandfather.  All Grandfather needed was to see the letter in order to figure out what they were up to.  Ron was glad that Pig was so stupid.  It could be easily intercepted, but at least it hadn't flown to Ginny.  Ron snatched the letter from the owl's leg.

"Thanks Pig, go get an owl treat from Ginny."  Ron said petting his owl.  He tucked the parchment into his pocket for later.

It was perhaps very lucky that Grandfather didn't see Ginny's face when she saw Pig fly through the window.  She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the owl didn't have anything.  She was a bit disappointed, but her Grandfather hadn't known about it, so Ginny wouldn't be in trouble.

Grandfather had again gone out at night, and Ginny crept down the stairs to Ron worriedly.  "Ron, Pig came back today, only there was no letter for me.  I'm sorry."  Ginny said sadly.

"Oh, thanks for reminding me."  Ron said pulling out the rolled up parchment from his pocket.  "I was on the roof when you and Grandfather were having tea.  I got it here."

"What did he say?"  Ginny asked.

"I don't know I'm not one to pry through your mail."  Ron said.

Ginny raised her eyebrow.

"Okay, well I would've but I was on the roof working.  I knew if Grandfather heard the hammering stop he would've been suspicious."  Ron said handing the letter to Ginny.

Ginny read it.

"He said I could come tomorrow night at ten.  His parents would love to have me, and they're offering me the guest bedroom.  He said the Floo Network is connected through his fireplace, since a friend of his had come over during the summer."  Ginny said excitedly.

"Ginny, I thought you were going to write a hypothetical letter… what else did you ask?"  Ron asked.

"Well, he had asked to come over to the burrow during the summer, before we left school, and I told him I'd have to ask mum.  So I wrote him telling him how I was stuck at Grandfather's and that it was a bit boring here.  I asked if I could go to his house for a few weeks and said that mum would write a letter to his parents if they needed it.  I also asked if his fireplace was connected to the Floo Network, and I asked when would be a good day to go, if I was allowed, and I told him that Grandfather would be working until ten, so I couldn't come until then and asked if it was all right."  Ginny explained.

"You were the one who was unsure of the whole thing…" Ron said rolling his eyes.

"Well there are still a few problems…" Ginny said.

"What are they?"  Ron asked.

"Well, one is Floo Powder… I'm not sure that Grandfather has any."  Ginny said.

"I took some from the burrow, for emergency reasons… It's in a jar in my trunk.  What's the other problem?"  Ron asked.

"How can we be sure Grandfather's going out tomorrow night?"  Ginny asked.

"I'll make sure of it."  Ron said.

The next morning Ginny woke up to her brother and Grandfather yelling at each other.  Ginny even heard something made of glass break and she ran downstairs as quickly as she could.

"I WON'T DO ANY MORE WORK FOR YOU!  I'M SICK AND TIRED OF YOU!  LET ME GO TO THE WIZARD VILLAGE!  YOU SAID IT YOURSELF THAT IT WAS UNHEALTHY FOR ME TO BE HERE ALL DAY!"  Ron yelled angrily.

"I SAID IT WAS UNHEALTHY FOR YOU TO BE INSIDE ALL DAY.  THEREFORE, I'VE GIVEN YOU OUTDOOR WORK TO DO!"  Grandfather yelled back.

"Well, if you make me go outside to do yard work, I won't come back in!"  Ron said.

"Fine, then you'll starve.  And when your really hungry, you'll come in and then you'll pay!"  Grandfather said angrily.

Ron had done chores all day, while Ginny had a great conversation with her Grandfather as they worked on her assignments.  

Ron came in at eight that evening.  Grandfather was putting on his jacket.  "You're going out again?"  Ron asked in a timid voice.

"After the way you've talked to me today, I warned you that you'd pay, so _yes_, I am going out tonight.  You'd best be awake when I get in.  Do you understand?"  Grandfather asked.

"Yes sir."  Ron said anxiously.

"That's what I thought.  Virginia's in bed don't disturb her."  Grandfather warned.  He walked outside and disapparated.

At five of ten, Ginny was in tears looking anxiously at her brother.

"I can't do this!"  Ginny cried.

"You have to!  Please, Ginny… I made Grandfather mad so he'd leave.  I need to get out of here before he gets back.  Ginny, you'll have a great time, and you won't have to worry about me.  I want you to write the twins if anything's wrong at the Creevey's.  I'm giving you all the extra Floo Powder incase you need to get away.  I'll let mum and dad know where you are, only when the warning is lifted.  Don't write to them before that.  I love you Ginny, but you have to go.  I'm begging you… you've been the best little sister I could ask for, and I know I'm asking even more now, but please just go."  Ron said.

"I love you!  Please don't get caught…" Ginny cried hugging her older brother.

"I won't if you go now."  Ron said.

"Bye Ron."  Ginny cried.  She threw a pinch of Floo Powder into the fireplace and stepped in with her trunk and Pig's cage.  "The Creevey's!"  Ginny cried, and in a flash of green, she was gone.

Ron prayed she'd be all right, but right now he needed to get away, and fast.  Ron ran down to the basement and took out his school bag from his trunk.  He packed a few items of clothing and left climbing out the basement window.


	4. Muggle Trouble

**Misunderstood**

**Chapter Four**

**Muggle Trouble**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the plot to this story.  All characters that you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling and Scholastic and all them people.

Author's Note:  Thanks for the reviews!  I hope you enjoy!  Oh and just a reminder, football in England is soccer in America.  I promise only the first part is about Ginny.  I'm just trying to take up space and get to August at the same time.  Anybody's who is paying very close attention will know that we're on July 10th now.  I'm trying to go into as much detail, but I'm not very good at it.  By the way I had to shorten the summary for Fanfiction.net I'm not going to tell you what happens just yet, but I will tell you the Grandfather situation is only in the beginning, but it is very important for my whole story to take place by having this situation.  So I'll hope it makes sense when I finish. ~*Carey*~

            Ginny awoke in an unfamiliar room, and it took her a few minutes to realize where she was.  She quickly changed and walked out of the guest bedroom that was on the first floor of the Creevey's house.  Ginny walked to the front of the house and peered out the window.  She saw six boys around her own age kicking a ball back and forth.  She smiled with amusement.

            "Morning Ginny!"  Colin said excitedly as he came down the stairs.

            "Morning Ginny!"  Colin's younger brother Dennis said just as eagerly as he followed his brother down the stairs.

            "Morning."  Ginny said softly not looking away from the window.  "What are they doing?"

            "Who?"  Colin asked edging his way next to her to see out the window.  "Oh, they're playing football.  It's a muggle game."  Colin explained with a shrug.

            "Is it any fun?"  Ginny asked.

            "Well, I hardly play muggle games."  Colin said quickly.

            "Colin used to play all the time, before he went to Hogwarts, now he doesn't play with the muggles anymore.  Even though we're practically muggles during the summer.  We're not allowed to use magic, after all."  Dennis said.

            "Why did you stop playing with muggles?"  Ginny asked turning around to look at Colin.

            "He's afraid to talk to them because he goes to a different school.  They think he's weird now."  Dennis explained.

            "Dennis!"  Colin said warningly.

            "Dennis, don't embarrass your brother!  You three come get some breakfast."  Mrs. Creevey said.

            Ginny followed the two Creevey boys to the kitchen, where five plates of eggs were placed around the table.  Ginny sat next to Colin and looked up at Mrs. Creevey.  "Thank you again Mrs. Creevey for having me."  Ginny said.

            "Oh, it's not a problem dear.  Colin's told us so much about you!  So you've resided in a non-muggle environment your whole life?"  Mrs. Creevey asked.  She seemed to be looking at her sons for a correction on her words.

            "Yes, my whole family's pure-blood."  Ginny said, then seeing Mrs. Creevey's confusion, she explained.  "I mean we're a wizarding family.  My mum and dad were born from wizards and witches, and their parents were too."

            "Were you taught magic before Hogwarts then?"  Mrs. Creevey asked.

            "I observed a few charms my parents performed, but Hogwarts is actually the start of magical education."  Ginny explained as best as she could.

            "Now, because your family has magical blood in them, are you allowed to perform magic during the summer?  Colin and Dennis explained to me that they aren't allowed to."  Mrs. Creevey said.

            "No, that rule goes for any witch or wizard whose underage, or who hasn't completed their seven years of Hogwarts."  Ginny explained.

            "So your summers aren't that different from a muggle's?  That's what Colin refers to as non-magical people anyway, is that the term?"  Mrs. Creevey asked.

            "Well my brothers play Quidditch during the summer, but only because we're isolated so that the muggles in the next village don't notice anything abnormal, but we're not allowed to perform magic."  Ginny explained.

            Mr. Creevey came downstairs and stole his wife's attention away from Ginny, which was fine by her.

            "So after breakfast, can you teach me how to play football?"  Ginny asked Colin hopefully.

            "Well…" Colin began to protest.

            "If he won't I will!"  Dennis chimed in keenly.

            "I will!"  Colin said glaring at his brother.

            "You don't have to if you don't want to."  Ginny said.

            "No, it's not a problem."  Colin said.

            After breakfast Colin, Ginny, and Dennis headed outside.  Colin had the muggle football in his hands.

            "Okay, it's really simple.  You kick it to your teammates, and try to get it past your opponents.  You get it into a net and you get a goal.  You can kick it, bump it with your head or knee, but you can't use your hands for anything, unless you're the goalie.  The goalie stops the ball from getting into the net.  They can catch it, hit it, and throw it, but they stay by the net the whole time."  Colin explained.

            "Hey Colin!"  A kid from the street called.

            Colin looked over to the kids in the street expectantly.  One of them ran over to him.  "Hey Dennis!  Colin, who's your friend?"  The boy asked looking at Ginny.

            Despite her outfit, which was a plaid button down shirt under a pair of jean overalls that were about a size too big for her, Ginny Weasley was a very attractive girl.  She had long, straight, red hair and a beautiful face, despite the bruise that darkened side of it.

            "I'm Ginny Weasley.  I go to school with Colin and Dennis."  Ginny said in a friendly manner, holding out her hand for him to shake.

            "Andrew Jones."  He answered shaking her hand.

            "Colin and Dennis were just about to teach me how to play football."  Ginny explained.

            "Well, we can show you.  It's not hard to learn."  Andrew said eagerly.

            Ginny smiled.  "All right then."

            In less than an hour's time Ginny would learn how to play football.

Meanwhile, Ron was waking up in tears knowing all the skin had been taken off his back with his grandfather's belt.  He had been caught late into the night.  He didn't understand how his Grandfather found him.  He was a good distance away from his Grandfather's house, but he must've gone in the wrong direction.  He had run straight into him.  Oh did he pay!  He just was grateful that through everything he had gone through, he hadn't told where Ginny was.  That's what he paid dearly for.  He protected the one person who protected him, and he wasn't even sure that Ginny was all right.  He was still worried about her, even though he should be really worrying about himself considering the situation.  Ginny was the only reason he wasn't punished during the day.  He had sent her off, and Grandfather could kill him whenever he wanted.

Ron heard a voice besides his Grandfather's upstairs and decided to check who was there, despite the fact that he was very unwelcome in his Grandfather's presence.  Ron opened the basement door to see his Grandfather actually crying!  His Grandfather was crying, and he was crying to Mrs. Weasley.  Ron thought it best to go back downstairs, but Mrs. Weasley had seen him from the corner of her eye.

"Ronald Weasley!  Don't you dare move!  Come up here immediately!"  Mrs. Weasley snapped.

Ron looked at her bewilderedly.  "You said not to move, but to come to you immediately… what is it you want me to do?"  Ron asked sarcastically.  He knew he was in trouble, and now was not the best time to be mess with his mother, but he needed to be normal again, for his own sake.  Sarcasm was in Ron's nature.

"COME HERE RIGHT NOW!"  Mrs. Weasley yelled.

Ron jumped and nearly fell down the stairs, but caught himself.  He walked into the living room looking at his mother with raised eyebrows, as if he had no idea why she was angry.

"What brings you here?  You said you'd visit every week, not everyday, although you were here Saturday and Sunday, but you weren't here yesterday so you can't be coming everyday."  Ron said casually.

"You know very well what brings me here!  In fact, I believe you're the one responsible for this!"  Mrs. Weasley yelled.

"Since when have I been responsible?  You're always saying I need to be more responsible, but I haven't done anything different.  If anything, I've become more irresponsible, so what-"

"Enough!"  Mrs. Weasley snapped.  "Where is your sister?  You were supposed to be responsible for her!"

"No, Grandfather was responsible for her.  That is a good question though… did you ever ask Grandfather, where _he _was last night or any other night, when I've had to watch Ginny?"  Ron asked.

"I don't know what you're implying, but you're in enough trouble as it is!  Don't you dare make accusations toward your Grandfather!"  Mrs. Weasley snapped.

"Then don't accuse me!  I didn't do anything.  Did you ever think that Ginny might not have been completely happy here?  I mean, she was safe, but she wasn't happy."  Ron said.  "But if you want me to take the blame again, sure I'll take it.  I sent Ginny away, so she'd stop getting me into trouble.  Now I won't be told on for trying to sneak out at half past two in the morning.  I mean that's what you want to hear, isn't it mum?  That's what you want me to say, right Grandfather?"

"You stop this right now!  What is wrong with you?"  Mrs. Weasley asked.

"A lot!  What is wrong with you?  Why can't you see past your father's lies?  Why can't you look at mine and see the truth?  You used to care mum, but now you don't try to understand.  You don't look at me without looking at Grandfather first!  Ask me everything you want once you asked Grandfather first!  You want to know where I was?  Ask Grandfather where he was.  You want to know what I was doing?  Ask Grandfather what he was doing!  I'm so sick of this!  I can't take it anymore!  I'd rather be gone, long gone, in the most dangerous place on the planet, than to be here safe, but hated!"  Ron yelled.

"Stop!"  Grandfather yelled dangerously.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?"  Ron asked.

"Where is Virginia?"  Grandfather asked.

"Her name is Ginny."  Ron said.

"Where is your sister?"  Mrs. Weasley asked firmly.

"Not here."  Ron said spitefully.  Ron went downstairs into the basement, locking the door behind him.  He grabbed his bag that was thrown to the corner of the room and gathered it's spilled contents back up shoving them hastily into the bag.  

Finally, he climbed out the window.  Only this time, he kicked the glass in deliberately, breaking the window loudly, before running away.  This time he wouldn't be stopped.

Ron had no idea how he managed to survive six cold nights and long days.  He just knew that he was still alive, extremely thirsty, extremely hungry, and exhausted.  Yet Ron somehow managed to keep moving.  He managed to stay out of trouble those first six night and days, and his Grandfather hadn't caught him yet.  He prayed that if he ever found him, he'd give him the option of death, because after all Ron's efforts, there was no way he'd go back to his Grandfather's alive.  No way.

It was on the seventh night, however that got him into trouble.  Ron was walking along the outskirts of another village, when he heard someone follow him.  He didn't see anybody, but he could hear the footsteps.  He walked quicker and the feet, he heard, did too.  He started running!  Surely, his Grandfather hadn't caught up to him!

WHAM!  

Ron hit the pavement… hard.  Strong hands pulled him up to his feet.  Two people picked him up and carried him away from the street behind an old warehouse; one of the two people was smart enough to cover his mouth.  It wasn't like Ron would scream anyway.  The authorities would come, and they'd bring him home to his Grandfather's.

 Six muggles around Ron's age were standing outside in the dark, all wearing black.  Ron couldn't run because the six would easily catch him, and he knew running and getting caught were ten times worse than staying still.  Ron had a plan to get away though, but he'd have to wait for them to make the first moves.

"Give us all your money and valuables."  The leader of the gang said.  He had said it in a tone that basically suggested, 'or else.'

"I don't have any money or valuables."  Ron said out of breath.  He watched the leader's eyes trying to figure out what the plan was.

"You're a runaway.  You've got to have some money on you, or if not money, something you could hock.  That or you're just plain stupid."  The leader said.

"I'm just plain poor.  I wear hand-me-downs.  I have six brothers and sisters, I have no money, and nothing is better than my Grandfather's, so I'll just be on my way now, if you don't mind."  Ron tried.

"Wrong move!"  The leader warned slamming Ron against the brick wall of an abandoned building.  If it had been under any other circumstance that he saw the building, he would've thought it'd be a great place to stay for the night.  The leader searched the pockets of his robes and pants and the contents of his bag.  True to his word, Ron had nothing for them.

"Hey, check his teeth.  He may have some gold or silver on a cavity."  One of the other boys suggested while picking up a lead pipe.

The leader shined a flashlight as he opened Ron's mouth.  He looked around as he held Ron's mouth open.

"Nothing."  The leader said tossing the flashlight to one of his buddies.

"Well, in that case, let the fun begin."  The one with the lead pipe said, starting toward Ron.

"Eddie!  His broken bones aren't worth anything.  Let's just let him go."  A girl cried.  Ron couldn't tell the difference.  Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and a hat shadowed it.  Ron never got a chance to look at their faces.  Now that he'd heard, he looked and saw that there was indeed a girl, but only one.

"Emily, I'll kill you!  You never say my name!"  Eddie yelled starting toward her, much to Ron's surprise.

"Relax.  He doesn't live around here, and God knows how many Eddie's there are in the World.  Besides, he's just trying to get out of here, you saw him running."  Emily said not scared at all.

"Eddie, calm down.  She may be on to something.  You saw him running.  Extremely fast, he is.  He could get us breakfast."  The leader said.

"I don't steal."  Ron said quickly.

"No, but you will.  If you want to stay alive."  The leader said looking back at Eddie who still held the lead pipe.

"What makes you think he'll come back?"  Emily asked.  "All I was suggesting was that you let him go."

"We send him for breakfast, the police will identify him immediately, and if he's on his way back to us, all they have to do is follow to know where we are.  His red hair gives him away."  Eddie said.

"I won't steal!"  Ron said.

"Fine, let's just pretend that you get away, and you continue to run away.  You don't have anything to hock, and even if you did you'd only get by a couple of days, and you don't have any money.  How do you intend on surviving without food?  There isn't a decent person around here that'll help you."  The leader said.

"My intention is not to survive, but to get away."  Ron said.

"We could help you survive.  We've got a place to stay.  If you're on the streets this late at night, the police will come for you, and they'll take you down to the station for being out past curfew.  They'll contact your grandfather, and you'll only be back where you started."  The leader said.

"I don't steal."  Ron said again, though these kids seemed to be getting by.  Ron almost took up the offer, but Hogwarts awaited him in only one month… and a half.  Would he be alive in a month?  If he stayed here, he'd never get his school supplies and would never make the Hogwarts Express.  He needed to keep moving.  He needed to get home or anywhere but here right now.  "Let me leave."  Ron said determinedly.

"Oh, so you can go straight to the authorities?  Have you lost your mind?"  Eddie asked.

"I'm running away and it's one o'clock in the morning, I'll be long gone by morning, besides I don't know where I am, where this is.  I don't even know where you stay, and if I alert local authorities at one o'clock in the morning, they'll take me back to my Grandfather's.  So I'm not going to go to authorities.  Let me go."  Ron said.

"No, you're not going anywhere."  Eddie said dropping the pipe and cracking his knuckles.

They decided to change his mind with violence, but Ron wouldn't let them change his mind, no matter what.  Eddie walked up and slammed Ron against the wall, punching him in the face.  Ron pushed him hard back, and he fell without even being punched.  Ron decided to run, but Emily blocked him and kneed him between the legs.  Ron fell to the ground at this holding himself.  Pangs of pain ran through him as boots connected with already welted skin from his Grandfather's belt.  Somebody kicked him in the jaw.  The others were kicking him in the kidney, in the back, on his bottom.   

Ron quickly got up between kicks, and ran as fast as he could, which was extremely fast, all pain considering.  

However, these six kids were just as fast at chasing him.  Ron and the others stopped, as they saw a car approaching.  

To confirm everybody's fears, it was a police car.  The six kids scattered in different directions, and Ron ran on the same course he was headed.  It was opposite of the direction the police car was in, and Ron was grateful for that.  

However, the police car's sirens went off, and another car was coming in Ron's direction.  They chased after Ron, but Ron had the advantage on foot, and ran over a hill and through some woods.  He heard a car door open and shut, and somebody trailing him.

Just as Ron thought the officer was about to give up, as he had given him a good chase, Ron tripped on a branch.  The officer took this advantage to catch up to him, and chased him out of the woods on the other side, where waiting were more officers.  

Ron tumbled past them and ran now having four officers on his tail.  More officers were arriving and catching up, but still he had the advantage of his youth and long legs.  

A gunshot startled him, and just as he turned around, he was tackled to the ground by one of the officers.  He struggled to get away; he elbowed the officer, causing the officer to put more pressure on his back.  Other officers caught up now, and one had a gun pointed at Ron.  He didn't know exactly what it was, but he knew it was dangerous, because he was obviously being threatened with it.

The police searched him for weapons, or anything he might have had on him, but came up empty.  

They handcuffed him and put him in the police car.  It was about a ten-minute drive to the police station.

They questioned him.

"What's your name?"  Officer Miller asked.

"Ron Weasley."  Ron said, knowing they wouldn't have any record of him.

"How old are you?"  Officer Miller asked.

"Fifteen."  Ron said.

"Where do you live?"  Officer Miller asked.

"Ottery St. Catchpole."  Ron said.

"What are you doing here?"  Officer Miller asked.

"It looks like I'm sitting and answering your questions."  Ron answered sarcastically.

"Why are you so far away from your home?"  Officer Miller asked.

"I was staying at my Grandfather's."  Ron answered.

"Where does he live?"  Officer Miller asked.

"Dublin."  Ron answered.

"Oh so you swam across the Irish Sea, did you?"  Officer Miller asked.

"No."  Ron laughed.

"Then how are you here, if your Grandfather lives in Ireland?"  Officer Miller asked.

"I was staying with my other Grandfather."  Ron said smiling.

"Where does your other Grandfather live?"  Officer Miller asked.

"I don't really know this part of Britain.  I didn't really jot the town down."  Ron said.

"Fine, you aren't going to answer us…" Officer Miller said and Ron could tell that he was annoyed.  "What were you doing outside at half past three in the morning?"

"I was running."  Ron answered.

"Why were you running?"  Officer Miller asked.

"Because these gits were chasing me!"  Ron explained.

"You will not disrespect officers of the law!"  Officer Miller shouted.

"I was talking about other gits, my own age.  Then your people chased me."  Ron explained.

"Why were you outside at half past three in the morning?"  Officer Miller asked.

"Because I had no place to go.  I got tired of my Grandfather's house, and I decided to go for a walk… a long walk."  Ron said nonchalantly.

"Okay wise guy, that's fine with me.  I reckon a night behind bars would do you some good."  Officer Miller said.      

Ron waited in a jail cell at the Fleetwood Police Station, wishing at this very moment, what his Grandfather had wished upon him countless times… that he were never born.  The advantage Ron had now was that he was of wizarding heritage, and none of his relatives, including his Grandfather, had a telephone or an address for the muggles to reach them out.  Their only way of contact was via owl.  Ron, however, knew that he couldn't be so lucky forever, and that eventually somebody would find him, it was just a matter of time, and a question of how.

However, after two days, nobody seemed to have figured out where Ron was at, and Ron was grateful.  The police were trying to send him to a juvenile facility until they could locate his parents, but everywhere was full, so they kept him in the police station.

On the fifth day, Ron noticed somebody wearing robes enter the police station, and knew it was a wizard, he didn't know who it was, but whomever it was, was definitely from his world.  The stranger sensed Ron's gaze and looked up, and his eyes widened.  That was all that Ron saw of him.

After a full week at the police station his cell gate was opened, and the officer waited expectantly.  "You can go."

"Why?"  Ron asked bewildered.

"Yes, your family's bailed you out."  The officer said.

"My… family?"  Ron asked hesitantly.

"Your grandfather."  The officer said.  "Not the one from Ireland."

Ron's heart stopped.  Oh the price he would pay… Ron shuddered at the thought.  He nodded to himself reassuringly, took a deep breath and walked out to find his grandfather waiting for him.  He gripped Ron by his elbow and escorted him outside to a muggle taxicab.  There was intense silence the whole two-hour ride.  Grandfather paid the cab driver while still in the backseat gripping Ron's ear, so he wouldn't run.  When the cab was out of view, Grandfather pushed Ron inside the house.

Mr. Weasley was filling out some paperwork in his office at the Ministry, when Percy entered.  Mr. Weasley looked up at his son expectantly.  Mr. Weasley flat out refused to speak to his brightest son, until he apologized.

"I know you're not speaking to me, but I'm all right with that.  I thought that you should know about Ron, but since you won't admit you were wrong…" Percy trailed off waiting for his father to ask him.

"Percy, you are wrong, but that can be put aside for the moment if something is seriously wrong with Ron."  Mr. Weasley said.

Percy sighed a little relief.  He wanted to talk to his father, but he still thought his father was wrong.  At least his father was concerned enough to respond.  "Well, nothing's seriously wrong… but you should know that _somebody_ in the office walked into a muggle police department a couple of days ago to look at a certain police report that might've been caused by a wizard, and spotted 'a Weasley' behind bars.  Now Bill and Charlie aren't in the country… I was in the office… The twins wouldn't be apart from each other, though I thought it was one of them at first, they're still at the Jordan's.  They said it was a male, so that ruled out Ginny… Grandfather bailed out Ron this morning.  I just thought you should know…" Percy said with a shrug.  He turned to leave, but Mr. Weasley stood up.

"Do you know why he was there Percy?"  Mr. Weasley asked.

"They said he had been charged with a bunch of things… Disturbing the peace, breaking curfew, some charges that he had been fighting with muggles, resisting arrest, assaulting an officer, or something… Our contact only glanced at the report."  Percy explained.

"Thank you Percy."  Mr. Weasley said.

Mr. Weasley apparated outside of the burrow and entered his home.  "Molly!"  Mr. Weasley called.

Mrs. Weasley came down the stairs with a magical duster dusting the railing behind her.  "Arthur, dear, why are you home so early?  Is everything all right?  Can I get you a cup of tea, or something to eat?"  Mrs. Weasley asked.

"No, we need to go to your father's.  According to Percy, muggle policemen arrested Ron.  Something's really wrong, Molly.  I don't know what it is, but for Ron to be acting so terribly."  Mr. Weasley said.

"Well at least he found him.  I've been worried sick!  Oh, I'll kill him!  First running away and being caught by muggles!"  Mrs. Weasley cried.

"Running away… when did this happen, you never told me…" Mr. Weasley asked.

"When I was visiting last time, after my father told me about Ginny…" Mrs. Weasley explained impatiently.

"What about Ginny?  When did you last go over there?"  Mr. Weasley asked.

"Oh, I guess I've been worried out of my mind I forgot to tell you.  I was sure I did though… Ginny disappeared a couple of nights after Ron hit her.  Ron said he sent her to a friend's house.  I tried to get it out of him, but he ran away, breaking a window in the process."  Mrs. Weasley cried.

"A couple of nights after Ginny was hit?  You never told me Ginny disappeared!  That had to be at least two weeks ago!"  Mr. Weasley cried.

"Let's go and see him.  Try and find out where Ginny is.  He's been nasty towards me, and refuses to answer anything."  Mrs. Weasley said.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley entered the O'Riley manor and found it completely silent.  "Dad?"  Mrs. Weasley called.

A door opened, and Grandfather came downstairs to find his daughter and son-in-law.  He looked terribly upset.

"I found Ronald.  He's down in the basement.  He's been beaten up pretty badly by muggles.  Muggle authorities arrested him.  They got a number of charges on him.  I altered their memories, though there was a fine I was obligated to pay.  Somebody from the Ministry said something about a muggle court appearance, but I paid him to drop the charges.  He got caught fighting in the middle of the night about a week ago, with muggles.  He ran from the muggle authorities, and fought them, when they tried to arrest him.  He refused to tell them where I lived… luckily, the 'Weasley's' are well known, because someone from the Ministry spotted him and contacted me."  Grandfather said.

"I'd like to speak with him.  You said he was down in the basement?"  Mr. Weasley asked determinedly.

"Yes, through that door."  Grandfather said pointing toward the basement door.

"Thank you."  Mr. Weasley said as he disappeared down the basement steps.  The sight that greeted him took his breath away.

Ron was resting on his stomach in his bed; his face was bruised, bloody, and swollen.  His one eye was completely swollen shut.  There seemed to be bruises all over his body.  Mr. Weasley spotted a few cuts and bruises on his ankles where his pants that were too short for him didn't cover.  Mr. Weasley also saw a bruise on the back of his neck, and a red welt caught his eye.

Mr. Weasley originally intended on yelling his Ron and than talking to him.  He was concerned for him, but also concerned for Ginny's whereabouts.  Now he couldn't find his voice to yell.  He walked over to Ron and very gently he lifted Ron's shirt collar and looked at Ron's back.  He saw Ron wincing, every time Mr. Weasley's hands moved.

Mr. Weasley pulled up the back of Ron's shirt and tears came to his eyes.  There were more welts, though there were plenty of bruises and cuts on top of Ron's back.

"This wasn't all from the muggles, was it?"  Mr. Weasley asked, knowing the answer.

"It doesn't matter… it's nothing I don't deserve."  Ron said.

"Ron you don't deserve this!"  Mr. Weasley said shakily.

"Yea, well what's the difference?  There's nothing you can do to change the situation."  Ron said shrugging painfully.

"Ron, if you could only tell me why you're acting like you have been, I could take you home."  Mr. Weasley said.

"As far as I knew, I wasn't sent here as a punishment.  You sent me here, because of that warning on the burrow.  Was it lifted?"  Ron asked hopefully.

"Not yet."  Mr. Weasley said.

"Then why would you say you could take me home!  If I told you anything… I can't tell you anything."  Ron said swallowing hard.  "I want to tell you, but I can't."

"Please tell me Ron."  Mr. Weasley pleaded.

"You can't tell mum."  Ron said firmly.

"Tell me."  Mr. Weasley said.

"Dad, Grandfather hates me.  He's hated me since I was five.  It's because I remind him of you.  He hates you because mum left for you."  Ron said.

Mr. Weasley took a deep breath and covered his mouth.  He knew most of this was true, but he didn't understand how Ron knew he was hated since he was five.

"He drinks a few nights a week, and he's not the friendliest person when he's drunk, not that he's friendly to me when he's sober, either… My first night here, he threw me down the stairs.  I knew he loved Ginny as much as he loved mum.  I knew that she was the only person who could protect me from him, so I couldn't tell her that he hurt me.  I lied to her, and I lied to you and mum so many times.  I had to lie to you, and I had to lie for him, because there was no way I could leave.  Hermione's in Bulgaria, and Harry's with the Dursley's!  I had no friends to go to, even if I could convince mum to let Ginny go to a friend's house, I'd be stuck here.  So I kept her here, until he hurt her!  I swear on my life that I never hit her.  Ginny will tell you too, now that she's away from Grandfather… I didn't touch her!  She was trying to stop him from hurting me, and he was drunk and didn't know what he was doing when he turn around and hit her!  He threatened us to lie."  Ron explained.

"So you never fought with muggles?"  Mr. Weasley asked.

"I got in two fights, but I swear, I only had a hit or a kick in, and that was only to get myself away!  They could've killed me.  I had to hit them, it wasn't even a hit more of a shove, so they would let me run.  Dad, it took everything in my power not to fight them, because I know how much you try to protect them.  The first fight I was walking through the village and they attacked me and stole my watch!  I was on my way to the next village.  Grandfather thought I should meet some wizards around here.  Only I got attacked and it stormed first.  The second fight was because they thought I had money, because I was a runaway, but I had nothing for them.  They wouldn't let me go dad!  They were trying to make me join their gang, and they wanted me to steal for them.  I fought so that I could get away, and then the police caught me, and I only elbowed them, because I was afraid to be taken back here.  After I helped Ginny get out of here, he hurt me really bad.  Mum was so mad that Ginny was gone; she didn't even care about me.  I only sent Ginny off to protect her.  Dad, I swear that I never fought with the muggles except those two nights.  I only got a hit in, and I regretted those hits… Grandfather's excuses of me sneaking out in the middle of the night to get revenge on the muggles were dragon dung."  Ron explained earnestly.

Mr. Weasley wiped his face with horror.  He hugged Ron as gently but as tightly as he could.  "I'm so sorry!"  Mr. Weasley cried.

"It's not your fault."  Ron said hastily.

"No, it is.  I should've known better!"  Mr. Weasley said standing up.  "Can you pack your things?"

"I can hardly get up."  Ron said wincing.

"Well, where are all your things?"  Mr. Weasley asked.

"In that trunk and in my bag."  Ron said.  "Why?"

"I'm getting you out of here."  Mr. Weasley said.

"But how?"  Ron began.  "We don't have any Floo Powder."

"Don't worry about any of that… Come on…" Mr. Weasley said helping Ron to his feet.  Mr. Weasley handed Ron his bag, while Mr. Weasley carried Ron's trunk up the stairs.

"Where's Pig?"  Mr. Weasley whispered on the top step.

"With Ginny."  Ron answered.

They stepped out of the basement and into the living room.

"Have you decided to walk out the front door in your efforts to runaway again?"  Grandfather asked.

"He's not running away.  He's coming home with me."  Mr. Weasley said firmly.

"Come again?"  Grandfather asked.

"Arthur, you can't be serious!  The burrow is not safe for him right now, and he can't risk that trouble around the burrow…" Mrs. Weasley said.

"Your father started the trouble Molly."  Mr. Weasley said.

"Arthur, apologize right now!"  Mrs. Weasley snapped.

"No, no, it's quite all right.  I'm sure Ronald has convinced your husband that I've been beating him.  He's a terribly convincing liar, he gets it from the twins I expect."  Grandfather said coolly.

"His problems didn't start until he came here, and he didn't have to convince me, I saw the welts you gave him!"  Mr. Weasley said.  "He wouldn't tell me, because he knew he was in a terrible situation, for if he told anybody nothing could be done, but something's being done about this, right now."

"Arthur, you are making a terrible mistake.  If Ron goes home with you, I won't be."  Mrs. Weasley said.

Ron looked at his mother with tears in his eyes.  Ron picked up his bag and began to turn around for the stairs.  Mr. Weasley stopped him.

"You are the one making a terrible mistake, Molly!  For you to say that… I reckon I don't want you to come home with me, after the way you just spoke."  Mr. Weasley said.

"Arthur, surely you can't mean that!  My father is right.  You believe a fifteen-year-old, who is surely lying!  Think about Fred and George.  When have they ever spoken the truth?"  Mrs. Weasley cried.

"This fifteen-year-old is my son, and the twins only lie in good humor.  Your father is wrong.  You have a decision to make.  I'll see if you made the right one, if I see you back at the burrow."  Mr. Weasley said sadly.

"Arthur!  The twins lie to get out of trouble, which is what Ronald is doing!  You're the one making a decision.  You have to decide whether you believe your son or your wife!"  Mrs. Weasley snapped.

"No, don't you do that!  Leave Ron out of this.  This is not Ron's fault!  You're faced with the decision between your father and me.  You made a decision once, you can make another decision now."  Mr. Weasley said.

"Arthur!  Ron hit Ginny!"  Mrs. Weasley cried.

"If Ron ever, ever hit Ginny… only then would he deserve to be here… but he didn't.  Ask your father who hit her… Better yet, ask Ginny!"  Mr. Weasley said pulling something out of his pocket.  He had a small bag of Floo powder.  He opened the bag, and offered it to Ron.  Ron grabbed his bag and his trunk and he looked at his mother with tears in his eyes.  He took a pinch of the Floo powder from the bag and threw it into the fireplace.  He stepped into the hearth and cried, "The burrow!"  He was going home… home, without his mother. 


	5. A Weasley Tragedy

**Misunderstood**

**Chapter Five**

**A Weasley Tragedy**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the plot to this story.  All characters that you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling and Scholastic and all them people.

Author's Note:  I'm sorry!  I know it's been a while, since I've updated, but I had to make a whole bunch of cookies for school, and still… this chapter has to be one of the worst I've ever written.  I'm very sorry, but I hope you continue to read it.  Thanks for all your reviews!  ~*Carey*~

"Dad… go back and apologize… please.  I… lied, and I'll face Grandfather if you go and get mum."  Ron cried, lying to get his father to go back to his mother.

Mr. Weasley sighed and looked at his son.  "Ron, I know when you're lying.  This has nothing to do with you.  This is your mother's decision.  The fact is… she chose her father over her husband, and that doesn't work in marriage.  It's probably killing your mum right now that I left her, but I have a responsibility to you as a father, and she has responsibility to you as a mother.  Your mum also has a responsibility to me as a wife, one that she's not attaining too well right now.  It's kind of how I messed up the last two times I saw you.  I didn't bother to see if you were lying.  I was only told from your mother and your grandfather that you were out of control.  I'm sorry for those hateful things I said.  They were meant for your Grandfather.  I love you and I am proud of you.  You should always know that.  Despite how angry I get, I always love you kids.  This whole problem will probably blow over soon enough.  I mean I messed up a few weeks ago with you.  Your mum's messing up with me, but we'll be back together soon enough.  I promise you."  Mr. Weasley said.

"Why are you proud of me?"  Ron asked.

"What do you mean?"  Mr. Weasley asked incredulously.

"Oh you meant the others…" Ron said dejectedly.

"No, no Ron… I meant you.  You didn't think I was proud of you?"  Mr. Weasley asked.

"Well after I lost the car in second year, I never thought you were too thrilled with me."  Ron said grimacing as he remembered the incident.

"I was upset with you, but I still had more reasons to be proud of you to even recall it.  I mean that same year, you saved Ginny and cleared an innocent man's name."  Mr. Weasley said.

"Harry saved Ginny, and Harry cleared Hagrid's name."  Ron said.

"And you helped.  Don't underestimate yourself Ron.  Do you think Harry would've saved that stone in your first year, if you hadn't been there to help him through that chessboard?  You sacrificed yourself."  Mr. Weasley said.

"Chess is the only thing I'm good at, and it's only a game."  Ron said.

"You're great at a bunch of other things, you just don't credit them.  Believe it or not, Ron, you make me very proud.  You risked your life for your sister's only a few weeks ago.  I didn't even know about that.  I was too exhausted to see the truth about Ginny, and I am extremely sorry."  Mr. Weasley said.

"Well after that time I pushed her in the mud, and you spared me mum screaming for that lecture about what it is to be an older brother, I've never been able to hurt her again."  Ron said.  "Speaking of Ginny, I can tell you where she's at, since we're no longer at Grandfather's."

"If she's having a good time wherever she is, I'd prefer her to stay there.  You shouldn't even be here, but here is better than your Grandfather's."  Mr. Weasley said nervously.

"That's what I've been saying from the start, but at least Ginny's not in any danger."  Ron said.

Mr. Weasley hugged Ron tightly.  "I love you."  Mr. Weasley said.

"I love you too."  Ron said.  "But I also love mum, despite the fact that's she's being rather thick at the moment.  Dad, I don't want to be the reason for you and mum to split up."

"I thought we established that you're not."  Mr. Weasley said.

"The twins, Ginny, Percy, Charlie, and Bill won't see it that way if things don't get better."  Ron said softly.

"Mention a few weeks at your Grandfather's and they'll see it that way.  Ginny already knows, without knowing, and Percy… Percy's been wrong for a bit now as it is.  I don't reckon we'll hear from him anytime soon.  Things will be better though, in time."  Mr. Weasley said.

"So you and mum will definitely make up?"  Ron asked hopefully.

"I'm almost a hundred percent sure she'll come around.  If she doesn't, then we'll still be all right."  Mr. Weasley said.  "We always manage."

"You're right, I reckon we will be all right."  Ron said.  "Don't you have to be at work though?"

"I do, but I'm not leaving you here by yourself when the warning's still here.  I need you to come to work with me."  Mr. Weasley said.

"All right, I need to work on my holiday assignments anyway."  Ron said standing up.  "Wait, are you sure you want me to come with you?"

"Yes."  Mr. Weasley said firmly.

Ron sat down in his father's office.  Mr. Weasley and a warlock called Perkins were the only ones who worked in the department for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts.  Usually, they just did paperwork, but both Perkins and Mr. Weasley were in and out of the office.  Both Perkins and Mr. Weasley were working behind Fudge's back for Dumbledore and had to acquire certain tips from other departments such as the aurors and hit wizards and deliver messages to other offices in the Ministry.  Half the wizards in the Ministry disagreed with Fudge and sided with Dumbledore, though to keep their jobs, they couldn't let Fudge know everything, but he did know a few things.

There was a knock on the office door and Ron looked up from his History of Magic book.  Both Perkins and Mr. Weasley were out of the office.  He opened the door to find Percy standing there looking annoyed, and then seeing Ron, he looked surprised.

"What are you doing here?"  Percy asked disgusted.

"What did you want Percy?"  Ron asked calmly.

"What happened to your face?"  Percy asked.

"What happened to your brains?"  Ron asked.

"Is there something I can do for you Percy?"  Mr. Weasley said entering the office from behind Percy ending the battle before it could begin.

"What is he doing here?"  Percy asked glaring at Ron suspiciously.

"I'm sitting here quietly and doing my homework, and dad asked you a question."  Ron said evenly.

Percy looked to his father.  "Why did you leave mum?"  Percy asked his father imperatively.

"If your concerned about your family, ask your mother why she didn't come home."  Mr. Weasley said directly.

"I did, she said because you believed Ron over her father!  You've been making some bad mistakes dad.  First you believe Dumbledore over the Minister and your own son, and then you believe your son over your wife and her father!  You ought to realize now that you're the one who's wrong.  You don't believe me, but you do believe Ron.  Is he the reason you ended your relationship after more than thirty years?"  Percy asked incredulously.

"Listen to me Percy.  I want you to hear this one thing I have to say to you right now!  This has nothing to do with Ron!  Your mother made the choice to stay with her father rather than go back to the burrow with me.  Your mother made the choice.  She loves her father more than me, and I'm not going to fight with that.  Dumbledore and Fudge is another conflict, but one that has to do with business.  I don't want to discuss it, but if you want to, then I will.  I would love nothing better than to ignore Dumbledore's warning and believe Fudge is right that there is no dark lord that we have to fear, but I have children to think of.  If any of them were hurt or killed for being home, because I didn't listen to Dumbledore, then I'd be responsible for the death or injuries caused upon my children.  Fudge doesn't have children to look out for.  I do, and Dumbledore's got a thousand to be concerned for.  One, of which is Harry Potter, who was traumatized by last year's events.  The Diggory's have lost their son, and Fudge wasn't there to see who murdered him.  Harry was there.  I believe Harry as much as I believe Ron's account of events over your Grandfather's.  So either apologize or leave."  Mr. Weasley snapped.

"You won't be satisfied until you break everything up, will you?  You broke up the Ministry, and now you're breaking up our family."  Percy said before walking out of the office.

Ron had stood up and was about to follow him, but Mr. Weasley grabbed him by the hood of his robes.  "Ron, this is a workplace.  Percy can think what he wants."  Mr. Weasley said.

"But he's wrong!"  Ron said.

"And I know that.  He will learn soon enough."  Mr. Weasley said reassuringly patting his son gently on the back.

Weeks of days at the Ministry continued for Ron and Mr. Weasley and they bonded during the time at the office.  Ron and Mr. Weasley would talk and work and have a great time just hanging out.  In fact their father-son relationship was becoming a friendship, though Mr. Weasley would correct Ron if he needed to be, but Ron hadn't put one toe out of line since he came back to the burrow.

Ron was having such a great time with his father; he forgot to worry about everything else, such as his brothers and sister's reactions.  The only one he really had to deal with was Percy, and Ron could careless about what Percy thought.  Ron was reminded of his sister and brothers when his father owled them money for their school supplies.  School was less than two weeks away.  Ron mentally cursed himself.

During the time he spent at the ministry, which was every day since the last week in July, he hadn't once owled Harry or Hermione to let them know he was away from his Grandfather's.  He hadn't even owled Harry a birthday card.  Though an owl from Ginny let him know that she had, and sent him a present for him.  She was still under the impression that he was living with his Grandfather, and she was very discreet about where she was staying, though she did mention she was fine and having a lot of fun.  Ron owled her back thanking her for mailing Harry a present, explaining that he had been so busy making up his assignments that he had actually forgotten, though he asked her not to mention this.  He also let her know that their father had rescued him, but he didn't want to risk her life if she was happy where she was.

It was the last week of August and Ron sat in his father's office reading the latest Quidditch news, when Fudge walked in, while rapping on the door.  He spotted Ron and looked at him disapprovingly.

"Where's your father?"  Fudge asked.

"He's at a muggle's house obtaining a cursed scarf."  Ron said.

"A what?"  Fudge asked.

"A scarf that's cursed to strangle muggles sir."  Ron explained.

"Oh, well then where's Perkins?"  Fudge asked.

"He's with him altering some muggle's memories, sir.  The muggle got the scarf at a party sir."  Ron explained.

"Tell them that I want to see them both the minute they return."  Fudge said.

"Yes sir."  Ron said.

Mr. Weasley and Perkins didn't come back to the office for an hour, in which they had spoken with Fudge about Dumbledore and such, therefore causing an argument to stir.

"What did you do with the scarf?"  Ron asked interestedly.

Mr. Weasley raised a crate.

"You should give it to Percy as a Christmas present."  Ron said happily.

"You're a bit more chipper than usual, any reason in particular?"  Mr. Weasley asked.

"Mum owled you."  Ron said excitedly.

"What did she say?"  Mr. Weasley asked inquisitively.

"I didn't read it.  I just recognize her handwriting.  Maybe she's sorry, but has too much pride to apologize in person.  You know how we can be."  Ron said hopefully.

"Don't get your hopes too high there."  Mr. Weasley said taking the letter from Ron.

"You want me to do fill out the paperwork, Arthur?"  Perkins asked.  

Perkins didn't want to be too involved, but he did know that Molly and Arthur Weasley had separated, and this was the reason Ron was brought to the office with Mr. Weasley, everyday.  Though Perkins didn't mind, Ron could keep interesting conversation, and was teaching him to play wizard's chess when they weren't running around the Ministry or the villages of muggles.  Perkins also thought that Mr. Weasley would've brought Ron to the office even if he hadn't split up with Mrs. Weasley, as the two got along very well.  Mr. Weasley hadn't been happy since summer began and Percy had sided against his family.  Even through the separation, Ron had managed to keep a smile spreading across his dad's face.

Perkins waited for Mr. Weasley to respond, but when he didn't, Perkins saw Mr. Weasley reading the letter with a look of dejection.  He looked up from the letter forcing a smile for his youngest son.  

"No, Perkins, I'll get this one."  Mr. Weasley said and swiftly got to work.

"What did the letter say?"  Ron asked timidly.

"She just wanted me to make sure you got to King's Cross for the Hogwarts Express next Friday.  She said she got an owl from Ginny, and that her friend's parents would take her to King's Cross."  Mr. Weasley said.

"That's Grandfather corrupting her.  I bet you if you were to see her alone, she'd ask you to help her leave him!  He hated that she left him the first time.  I reckon he's taken her wand away so she can't apparate away!  I bet-"

"Ron!"  Mr. Weasley snapped startling Ron with the harshness of his tone.  "I'm trying to work."

"Sorry."  Ron said backing away from him.  Ron kept himself busy the rest of the workday, and didn't speak a word to his father until they got to the burrow.

"I'm not hungry dad, I just want to go to sleep.  I'm tired."  Ron said as his father started up dinner.

"Ron, I'm sorry for blowing up at you.  I just don't want to think about the possibilities.  From her letter, I think she sounded just fine.  She'll be at King's Cross, so I can see her then, but her father loves her and he doesn't have control over her.  If anything she can't leave him because of the guilt she'd feel for doing so, but the guilt of hurting you should overweigh that, and as it didn't, I think she just likes a richer life style."  Mr. Weasley said.

"Mum's never cared about money.  She'd get worried, but she knew we'd always manage."  Ron said.

"So how are the cannons doing?"  Mr. Weasley asked brightly changing the dinner conversation to something optimistic.  Ron's remarks about the Quidditch teams certainly brightened his father's mood and he even got his father to laugh over dinner.

"You know I'm very, very proud of you for being so strong over the summer, and for putting more effort into your work.  I love you very much, and ever since you've been back to the burrow you've been a reminder of normalcy.  Thank you for that."  Mr. Weasley said on the night of August 31st when Ron was going to bed.

"Thanks for saving me.  You're my hero."  Ron admitted.  "I love you dad.  Maybe you and mum can resolve your problems, when I'm away."

"Hopefully, but don't you worry about that.  Get some sleep.  You're getting up early tomorrow."  Mr. Weasley reminded.

"Nothing unusual after this summer."  Ron said smiling at his father.  His father hugged and kissed his son goodnight before he retired to bed.

A rat crept into the burrow at three in the morning followed by a wizard wearing the mask of a death eater.  It was an old balding rat containing one _silver_ paw.  It crept into the house, leading the way for the wizard, finding only two occupants there one, in his former room, and the other in the parents' bedroom.  It squeaked around the parents' bedroom, waking Mr. Weasley, while the wizard roamed quietly around the bedroom just below the attic.  

"What the-?"  Mr. Weasley asked groggily as he awoke to the sound of something, footsteps, possibly?  He got up and jumped seeing a rat.  He started to chase the rat around the room and down the stairs with his wand out ready to repel it away, but just as he reached the back room where Errol perched, he heard footsteps behind him.

"Ron, go back to bed, it was just a rat, nothing to worry about-" Mr. Weasley gasped turning around seeing a death eater with a grin on his face and his wand out.

"I've waited a few years to do this…" A cold voice jeered.

Arthur Weasley gasped and swished his wand.  Just as the stunning spell left his mouth, the death eater performed the killing curse.

The rat transfigured himself into the death eater with the silver hand that he was.  "Did you kill the boy?"  Peter Pettigrew asked.

"No, I got something better in store for him."  The cold voice laughed.  "Go bring _his_ wand back to his room and place it on his dresser."

Wormtail transfigured himself back into the rat he was and did as he was told.

Ron awoke with a start.  He had overslept!  It was eight o'clock.  Why hadn't his dad woken him up?  He didn't know how he was getting to King's Cross Station, but he assumed it by some sort of car, and a drive to London would be a little more than three hours!  He dressed quickly and made sure he packed everything.  He lugged his trunk down the stairs and ran up to his father's room.  His father's door was open, but he was nowhere in sight.

"Dad!  Dad!  Come on, dad we're already late as it is!  The Hogwarts Express leaves at eleven like every other year!  If we're getting there by some kind of car, I've already missed it!  Dad, where are-?"  Ron couldn't breathe.  His chest caught in his throat.  His dad was lying on his back on the kitchen floor staring at the ceiling with horror and anger in his eyes, and he didn't blink or seem to see Ron.

Ron kneeled down beside his father's body.  "Daddy, dad… Please, please wake up!"  Ron said croakily shaking his father.  He fell back feeling his father's frozen skin.  He checked for a pulse or any sign at all that he was alive.  There wasn't one.

Ron's world had come crashing down around him.  His hero was dead!  The one member of the family, who trusted Ron without a doubt when he was in his right mind, was dead.  The one member of the family who cared if Ron was hurt or not, was dead!  His father, whom he confided so much in over the summer alone, was dead.  He couldn't be dead, he couldn't!  Heroes didn't die!  They couldn't die!  His father couldn't die!

Ron needed to owl someone for help, anybody, but the one person who he needed to write to, was the one that he'd need to write for!

It seemed as if Mr. Weasley had been dead for a while, but there was still the possibility that a murderer was around, as the warning had never been lifted and the evidence of danger in the area lay right in front of him, but Ron couldn't move.  He couldn't do anything but cry. He couldn't careless if someone came in and killed him right now.  He wanted to die!  He had nobody left.  That's what it felt like.  Mrs. Weasley hated him, Percy hated him, once the twins, Bill, Charlie, and Ginny found out that he was responsible for the breakup of their parents, they'd hate him too.  His friends wouldn't understand.  They couldn't possibly understand the amount of pain he was in as he choked over his father's dead body.  This wasn't happening.  This couldn't be happening.  It wasn't possible.

It was going on noon and Harry Potter and Hermione Granger finally found some sign of the Weasley's on the Hogwarts Express when they walked into a compartment occupied by seventh year Gryffindors.

"Fred, George!"  Harry said happily.

"Hey Harry!"  The twins said happily in unison.  They were still overwhelmingly grateful for the gold Harry gave them for their joke shop at the end of last year.

"Do you know where Ron is?"  Hermione asked hopefully.

"He might be with Ginny.  I haven't seen him all summer."  Fred said.

"Yea, we've been over Lee's.  Ginny and Ron had to go to our grandfather's."  George explained.

"Have you seen Ginny then?"  Harry asked.

"I thought I saw her in a compartment down the corridor that way just a bit."  Fred said pointing.

"Thanks."  Hermione said and she left the compartment with Harry just behind her peeking in to different compartments, finally finding one with Ginny talking with Colin and Dennis Creevey.  She knocked and entered and Harry stayed outside to listen.  He didn't want to be seen by Colin, he was obsessed with him.

"Hermione!"  Ginny cried happily.

"Hey Ginny.  Colin, Dennis."  She said nodding, acknowledging everyone.

"How was your summer?"  Ginny asked.

"It was fantastic… I-" Hermione started, then she remembered why she was there.  "Ginny, have you seen your brother?  I haven't heard from him, since he got grounded by your grandfather, and I'm having trouble finding him."

"Well, Ron got me out of there, and I've only heard from him once, since the tenth."  Ginny said.

"So he didn't come with you to Platform 9 and ¾?"  Hermione asked anxiously.

"No, I came with Colin."  Ginny explained.

"Well maybe he's in another compartment.  I'm going to look for him."  Hermione said leaving the compartment.

Harry looked at Hermione apprehensively.  "Maybe we should let Hedwig find him?"  Hermione suggested.

"Good idea."  Harry said assuring himself that everything was all right.

Everything wasn't all right though.  Everything was oh, so terribly wrong!  Ron still sobbed over his father's dead body holding onto his father's hand, trying to reassure himself that he was having a terrible nightmare.  Just a terrible, terrible nightmare!

Pop!  Somebody apparated outside the burrow and let themselves in.  "Arthur, are you home yet?"  Perkins called.  "Arthur?"  His voice grew nearer as he made his way to Ron.  He gasped.  "Oh my God.  What happened?  He's not… he can't be…" Perkins said disbelievingly as he kneeled down next to Ron who didn't seem to notice Perkins was in the house.

Ron didn't notice he left, nor did he notice his return as well as the appearance of other Ministry workers.  

"Oh God!"  Percy cried with disbelief.  He fell into a chair and tried to keep from crying or passing out, but tears couldn't help but fall.

"What's going on here? Oh God… Arthur!"  Fudge gasped.  He walked forward and pulled Ron to his feet pushing him aside.  "What happened?"

Ron couldn't answer he was still crying uncontrollably.

Hit wizards were there, and looking around the burrow for anything suspicious.

"Ron!"  Percy snapped.

Ron was in shock.  He didn't see or feel anybody around him.  He passed out.

A Hit Wizard checked the last spell on Mr. Weasley's wand to find it was the stunning spell.  They found another wand at the bottom of the spell and checked the last spell done by that wand.  Shouts and cries were heard from the Hit Wizards as they ran to Fudge.  

"Do you know whose wand this is?"  One of the Hit Wizards asked Fudge.

Fudge looked, but couldn't tell.

"That's Ron's wand… why?"  Percy asked hoarsely.

"Because the owner of this wand murdered your father."  One of the hit wizards said.

Ron didn't know if he fell asleep or what, but he had no recollection of where he was or how he had gotten there.  He was in a room that had all white walls, he couldn't figure out where the door was until he walked over to the wall just a few steps away from the bed he'd been resting on.  Ron walked back over to the bed.  He laid down and decided he needed to sleep, something strange was going on around him, and he didn't know what, but he needed to lay down before he collapsed from shock.

He tossed and turned, and woke up in the same place.  He finally just gave up on sleep and thought about everything that happened.  He sighed deeply.  

Then he heard a latch on the door click.  A woman in a uniform entered the room with her wand pointed at Ron.

"I am Hit Witch Diane Watson, and I'm in charge.  Any sudden movements, outbursts, or fits, and I will not hesitate to stun you.  I have two hit wizards outside listening for commotion.  If you get passed me somehow, they will stop you, and the consequences will be worse, do you understand?"  The Hit Witch asked.

"Yes, madam."  Ron said in a barely audible whisper.

"Good."  Diane said.

"May I speak?"  Ron asked.

"You may."  Diane said.

"Where am I?  How did I get here?  And Where's my father?  Is he all right?"  Ron asked in a whisper.

"You're at the Ministry of Magic, in a quiet room.  We stunned you and transported you here by means of a portkey."  Diane explained.

"My father, what about him?  Where is he?"  Ron asked.

"He's dead."  Diane said softly.

Tears rushed to Ron's eyes, and he laid back down covering his face with his hands.

"I need you to come with me.  The minister wants to ask you a few questions."  Diane said.

Ron nodded and stood up, following her, shakily, down the hall to the Minister's office, which was huge.  The hit wizard followed Ron in for security.

"Sir."  Diane said, attracting the Minister's attention.  

Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic looked up and then looked down at Ron, his face full of disgust.

"What do you have to say for yourself?"  Fudge asked.

"I beg your pardon?"  Ron asked quietly.

"Why did you kill your father?"  Fudge asked.

"What?"  Ron asked.  "I didn't kill my father."

"You were crying over your father's body, out of guilt nonetheless… The evidence is all there on your wand, the last spell performed from your wand was the killing curse."  Fudge said.

"What?  That's not true!  I never performed that in my life!"  Ron said defensively.  "I was crying because my father was dead!  I woke up and found him dead, he was the only person I had in the world, and I woke up to find him dead!"

"You have six brothers and sisters, and your mother, and your father was the only person you had in the world?"  Fudge asked.

"My mum hates me, because her father hates me, and my dad split up with my mum, because her father was an abusive drunk, and she didn't believe him.  My dad believed in me!  Why would I kill the only person who ever really cared about me?"  Ron choked.

"I don't like to try and fathom the minds of murderers."  Fudge said.

"I'm not a murderer!"  Ron sobbed.  "I never performed that curse.  Professor Moody said that nobody at my age could do that curse, and I'm probably the worst student in my year, I couldn't possibly perform it."

"You think you got this all worked out, using an excuse like that?  You thought we'd believe that, but your wand says different.  Not to mention, that your behavior this summer has been atrocious.  Beating up muggles, running away, getting arrested by the muggles for fighting muggle authority, and you punched your sister, what would make me think that if you could punch your sister that you couldn't kill your father?"  Fudge asked.

"First of all, I never beat up any muggles, they'd start fights with me, and I'd do what I could to defend myself, and half the time, it was a cover story for my Grandfather, who came home drunk all the time!  I ran away because my Grandfather was going to kill me!  I got arrested for running away after curfew.  I was trying to get away from the muggles, because I knew they'd bring me back to my Grandfather's!  And I would never ever harm a hair on my sister's head!  Ask my sister!  My grandfather was beating me because he was drunk and Ginny woke up to go to the bathroom and heard him yelling and she tried to stop him, and he hit her.  He loves my sister, and hit her on accident, but all the same he still hit her, and I was made to lie and say that I did it so that it didn't happen again.  I'd risk my life for Ginny's and she knows that!  I never killed my father.  I didn't kill him!"  Ron yelled.

"_Stupefy!"  _Diane yelled stunning Ron.  "Sir?"  Diane asked the Minister for more instructions.

"I want him sent to Azkaban immediately.  Until his trial, he's to stay there."  Fudge said.

Diane sighed.   "Yes sir."

The sorting ceremony had just ended and Dumbledore was speaking of Voldemort and Cedric Diggory, and new precautions taking place at Hogwarts this year.  Harry, Hermione, the twins, and Ginny paid no attention to the Headmaster as they whispered about Ron's absence.  Harry used Hedwig to search for Ron, and even searched every compartment himself with the help of the twins and Ginny, but Ron had never boarded the Hogwarts Express.

"I think he might've ran away from my Grandfather's.  They didn't get along at all."  Ginny said anxiously thinking of possibilities that would explain Ron missing.

"Ron would've started to run away ages ago, and he would've made it to London in time."  Fred said.

"What if he didn't have his school supplies?"  George asked.

"Well it doesn't matter seeing as he's not here at school."  Hermione said.

"No, I think he means he probably got to London or was heading toward London and realized he didn't have money for school supplies, because he ran away, so maybe he just gave up and settled somewhere."  Harry offered.

"You should use Hedwig to find him.  I mean, we'll talk to one of the professors about transportation and everything, but we got to reassure him he's not in any trouble, or he won't go.  He can be stupid, but he's not dumb enough to walk into a trap."  Fred explained seriously.

"A trap?"  Ginny asked uneasily.

"Yea, you know mum could easily owl him saying she's you and that everything's fine and to meet him somewhere, in which she'd just take him to Grandfather's and kill him."  George explained.

"But what if your mum wasn't the one who tried tricking him?  I mean with everything going on… An auror said the Death Eaters could use him to get information on me.  I tell him everything I know."  Harry said worriedly.

"Don't even start."  Fred warns loudly causing nearby Gryffindors to look at him worriedly.

"What are you talking about?"  Harry asked.  He hadn't meant to upset Fred.  In all honesty, he hadn't meant to say it out loud.

"Don't say things like that, ever."  Fred said warningly.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to say that out loud…" Harry began.  "I wasn't thinking it, really…"

Fred rose from his seat and walked quickly out of the Great Hall and out of the castle.

"I didn't mean it, honest!"  Harry said quickly to George.

"I know, but he's worried that that is a possibility."  George reassured Harry.

Harry looked up to see everybody watching the group of now four Gryffindors with interest.  Harry hadn't realized that the hall had gone completely silent until now.

The four looked apologetically up at the Headmaster and the staff and listened as Dumbledore mentioned a curfew and Harry saw Professor Snape leave for the dungeon doors.

Professor Snape found Fred Weasley at the village of Hogsmeade in Honeydukes.  It was surprisingly quiet tonight.

"Mr. Weasley, where is your brother?"  Professor Snape asked coldly.

"I don't know."  Fred said rolling his eyes, as if it were obvious.

"Was he on the Hogwarts Express?"  Professor Snape asked.

"To my knowledge, no.  I was at Lee's all summer."  Fred said with a shrug, sipping a butterbeer.

"What happened between you and Mr. Potter?"  Professor Snape asked with interest.

"Nothing.  I'm just tired, and I wanted to leave the feast.  Suspend me, why don't you?"  Fred suggested, as he rolled his eyes again.

"I don't have that power, sadly."  Professor Snape said icily.

"Oh no, poor you."  Fred said rolling his eyes.

"Did you owl your parents at least, asking them their knowledge on your brother's whereabouts?"  Professor Snape asked.

"Yes."  Fred said becoming agitated.

"Mr. Weasley, I am trying to do you a favor by helping out.  The least you could do is show some appreciation."  Professor Snape said warningly.

"Professor McGonagall, we were trying to figure out where Ron was, and suggesting possibilities, and I thought of something stupid, and said it out loud without knowing I did.  I didn't mean to make him upset!"  Harry insisted to Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore in Professor McGonagall's office.

"You couldn't have waited until after Professor Dumbledore finished to attract everybody's attention?"  Professor McGonagall asked.

"No, I wasn't trying too.  We weren't trying to.  It was all of us talking, not just me!  Ginny, Hermione, Fred, and George were all talking.  We were wondering where Ron could possibly be.  I didn't mean to interrupt you Professor Dumbledore, I was just worried about Ron!"  Harry explained earnestly.

"Nobody knows where Mr. Weasley is?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"No sir."  Harry said pleadingly.

"What did you suggest that made Mr. Weasley so upset?"  Professor McGonagall asked.

"Well he said that Ron might've runaway from his Grandfather's.  That's where he was supposedly staying, because the burrow, the Weasley's home wasn't entirely safe.  They said Ron and his Grandfather never get along, and that one of the reasons he probably wasn't on the train, was because he probably ran away.  He said we needed to assure him to come to Hogwarts, so he would know it wasn't a trap for Mrs. Weasley to catch him and punish him, and I thought about what Ms. Figg said about the burrow not being completely safe, and that it was imperative that of all people in the burrow, that Ron be moved out, because he knows as much about me as I do.  I thought that Voldemort might've gotten to him.  All anybody needs to do is torture him for answers about where I stay during the summer or anything they needed."  Harry explained.

"I'll go to his home tonight.  Why don't you eat here and head up to bed?"  Professor McGonagall suggests as a platter of sandwiches appeared on the table.

"I want to be sure that he's all right."  Harry said.

"You can find out first thing tomorrow morning."  Professor Dumbledore said leaving no room for argument.

Harry didn't sleep all night worrying about where his best friend in the world was.  Hermione was his best friend, but if he were stuck with her all year, he'd spend the majority of it in the library, and he wouldn't be as happy as he would be if he had Ron with him making comments about everything, always saying whatever was on his mind, and this year with Voldemort on the rise, he'd need a friend like Ron, more than ever.

Author's Note Again:  I'm really sorry about how poorly this chapter was written.  Check back in two days for the next chapter.  School's out for twelve days, and I've made all my presents.  I have to go to the mall on Monday to get a present for my mom, but other than that, chapters will be posted more frequently.  Happy Holidays!  ~*Carey*~


	6. The Prisoner In Azkaban

**Misunderstood**

**Chapter Six**

**The Prisoner _In_ Azkaban**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the plot to this story.  All characters that you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling and Scholastic and all them people.

            Professor Snape apparated as close as he could to the place the Weasley family called their home.  He walked up to the crooked house with floors held up by magic and knocked on the door with disgust written all over his face.

The door opened and a short and stocky red haired young man opened the door with red-rimmed eyes and a tear-stained face.  Professor Snape almost mistook Charlie Weasley's freckles for a tan.  Charlie Weasley looked very upset and miserable when he opened the door, but once he saw the person on the other side of the door, he turned nasty.

"What do you want?"  Charlie asked dangerously.

Professor Snape watched Charlie suspiciously for a moment and then snapped back at him.  "Your brother didn't arrive at Hogwarts, and I'm concerned for his whereabouts."

"I bet you're concerned.  As far as I'm concerned, you can go to hell."  Charlie spat and slammed the door in his face.

Professor Snape was taken back, and now a bit irritated.  He debated whether to knock again, while he listened to the conversation inside.

"Who was at the door?"  Mrs. Weasley asked sharply.

"Nobody."  Charlie said.

"It best have been nobody, because you were not brought up to speak like that under any circumstance!"  Mrs. Weasley yelled.

Professor Snape knocked on the door again.

"I'm getting it."  Mrs. Weasley said dangerously.

Mrs. Weasley opened the door looking upset, exhausted, and irritated.  Charlie stood just behind his mother glaring dangerously at Snape.

"Can I help you?"  Mrs. Weasley asked.

"I'm Professor Snape, the Potions Master at Hogwarts."  Professor Snape said.

"Oh of course, Professor… I remember you now.  May I ask what brings you here?  Would you like to come inside for a cup of tea?"  Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Thank you."  Professor Snape said as he stepped into the burrow.  Mrs. Weasley pushed Charlie into the living room and led the way for Snape to sit down.  She boiled some water and brought him a cup of tea offering cakes, which Snape surprisingly accepted.

"May I ask what brings you here?"  Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Your son, Ronald, didn't arrive at Hogwarts yesterday, and I came to find out why."  Professor Snape said.

"Oh, right… I'm sorry.  I meant to owl Professor Dumbledore, but things have been a bit chaotic around here."  Mrs. Weasley said.

"Perhaps, you could give me a message to tell the Headmaster?"  Professor Snape asked.

"Oh, right, of course… I apologize.  Ronald's been arrested and the Minister won't tell me where they're holding him.  I'd assume Azkaban, but he's only fifteen, and the Minister would've told me, but he didn't, so I can't tell you where my son is, as I'm not being told.  However, I may tell you that he probably won't attend Hogwarts this year."  Mrs. Weasley said.

"Why was he arrested?"  Professor Snape asked with concern and interest.

"My husband was murdered.  As Ron was the only person home at the time, the Minister believes my son to be the murderer."  Mrs. Weasley said.

Professor Snape looked from Charlie to Mrs. Weasley.  "I'm terribly sorry about your husband, Mrs. Weasley, but the Minister can't charge your son for being the only other person in the house."  Professor Snape said.

"Well of course he can't."  Percy said.  Percy and Bill had come down the stairs and into the living room; both young men were looking at their former Professor with suspicion and curiosity.  "He arrested Ron, because he had evidence and reason to believe that Ron did murder my father."

"What do you mean by evidence?"  Professor Snape asked.

"The last spell that came from Ron's wand was the killing curse."  Percy said.

Professor Snape looked from Percy to Mrs. Weasley with shock.  "I'd better be going.  I have to speak with Professor Dumbledore."  Professor Snape said putting down his empty cup and plate as he stood up.

"Professor?"  Mrs. Weasley called, stopping Snape in his tracks.  He turned around.  "Please don't let my children know.  I don't want them to hate Ron."

Professor Snape nodded before leaving.

Professor Snape apparated just outside of the Ministry gates.  He was let in the Ministry building by the Goblins who guarded the gates.  He found his way to the Minister's office and knocked on the door.  The Minister opened the door and looked at Snape skeptically.  He looked disgustedly at him, remembering that he was once a death eater, after being shown the dark mark on his arm last June.

"Severus, what can I do for you?"  The Minister asked distrustfully.

"Where is Ronald Weasley?"  Professor Snape asked.  "I spoke to Molly Weasley, and she claims you haven't told her where you've been keeping him.  Now she said he was arrested, but she didn't know where he was taken too.  She doesn't believe he's in Azkaban, since he's only fifteen.  Where is he?"

"He murdered his father.  He is in Azkaban, and will remain there until his trial, and he will be sent back there after his trial, if he is proven guilty.  I don't have to tell Molly Weasley where her son is, nor do I have to tell Albus Dumbledore.  He's been taken into custody that's all there is to know."  Fudge said sharply.

"When is his trial?"  Professor Snape asked.

"Before the end of the month."  Fudge answered.

"What date?"  Professor Snape asked.

"We haven't set one yet.  It'll be late into the month.  Now if you'll excuse me, I'm the Minister of Magic, and a very busy man.  I have business to attend to.  Good day."  Fudge said and shut his door.

Professor Snape walked in to the Great Hall as everybody was eating his or her lunch.  He strode up to the head table and spoke briefly to Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore, before all three professors disappeared into the dungeon.

"I was planning to stop by the Weasley's later this afternoon.  What did you find out?"  Professor McGonagall asked.

Professor Snape looked out the dungeon door at the Great Hall again just to be sure Fred, George, and Ginny Weasley as well as Hermione and Harry were all there.  Seeing that they were Professor Snape closed the dungeon door.

"Arthur Weasley was murdered."  Professor Snape said.

"Oh dear…" Professor McGonagall said compassionately.  "I'm surprised the others didn't stay home as well."

"It's because they didn't know, and they don't know.  Mrs. Weasley doesn't want them to, not yet anyway."  Professor Snape said.

"Did you suggest it best for Ronald to come back here?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"No.  They think he's the one who murdered his father."  Professor Snape said.  "The Minister believes that too, and yesterday Fudge arrested him and took him to Azkaban.  Molly Weasley has no knowledge of where Fudge took him, and Fudge doesn't believe it to be her business.  Fudge said he'll stay in Azkaban until the trial and he'll go back after he finds him guilty.  He wasn't going to tell you either, he declared it nobody's business, but I thought you should know."

"Why would they believe Ron to be the one who murdered his father?"  Professor McGonagall asked.

"Apparently, he was the only one home at the time and the Killing Curse was the last performed on his wand."  Professor Snape said.

"But that's not possible!"  Professor McGonagall cried.

"When is his trial?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"Fudge wouldn't tell me.  He said before the end of the month, in the last two weeks."  Professor Snape said.

"What am I supposed to tell the Weasley's and Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger when they ask?"  Professor McGonagall asked.

"Nothing."  Professor Snape said.

"Tell them to owl Molly Weasley."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"He can't have done it!"  Charlie argued over the dinner table with Percy.

"But he did!"  Percy shouted back.

"Were you here?"  Charlie asked.

"Yes, I came and saw him crying!  He felt guilty!"  Percy claimed.

"Did you see him kill dad?"  Charlie asked.

"No, but I happen to know that dad yelled at him that day."  Percy said.

"Oh my God, he yelled at him?  God forbid!  Everybody watch out!  Percy yelled at me today, I'm going to kill him tonight!"  Charlie said mockingly.

"You don't know how bad he was this summer.  Dad left the Ministry to yell at Ron at Grandfather's!  Do you know how many fights he was in with muggles?"  Percy asked.

"No, do you?  Can you tell me you saw him go up to a muggle and punch him?"  Charlie asked.

"Did you know that Ron hit Ginny?  I mean he actually punched her!  I saw the bruise!"  Percy said.

"Did you see Ron give her the bruise?  No, but if he actually hit her, it was because he lost his mind!  You try being Ron and spend a summer at Grandfather's.  Unfortunately, Percy not everybody's as perfect and respected as you are."  Charlie said.

"Yes, it's obvious he lost his mind, since he killed dad!"  Percy said.

"Ron's brilliant Percy, but he's extremely lazy.  He wasn't one of the higher students in his grade."  Bill said speaking up.

"What does that have to do with anything?"  Percy asked.

"It takes a lot of power and intelligence to perform the killing curse, and no fifth year could perform that curse, especially not Ron.  Dad might've snapped at Ron, but Ron didn't kill him over it.  I think somebody else did it using his wand.  Had he done magic, the Ministry would've written a letter about underage wizards not being allowed to perform magic during the holidays.  In the process of writing the letter, they'd have realized what curse he performed, and they'd have to get the hit wizards all over here.  As it was… there was no letter, and the Hit Wizards came after Perkins got here.  I had a good talk with Perkins.  He said that Ron and dad were really close, and dad only snapped at Ron that day, because he was trying to reassure dad that mum had some logical reason for not wanting to speak to him, and dad was trying to accept the fact that mum wasn't coming back to him."  Bill said.

"You never should've left him!"  Charlie snapped at his mother.

"He left me.  I said I would go home with him, if he had Ron stay there.  Ron turned my father into a liar and an abusive drunk.  He convinced your father to believe him over my father."  Mrs. Weasley snapped.

"I wouldn't put it past him.  He was a good drinker even before Grandmother died."  Bill said.

"I can't believe you would say that!"  Mrs. Weasley cried.

Charlie stood up and grabbed his cloak, not wanting to witness an argument between his older brother and mother.

"Where are you going?"  Mrs. Weasley asked.

"To find Ron.  He needs to know that somebody believes in him, even if it's not his own mother."  Charlie said meaningfully.

"I'm going with you."  Bill said grabbing his cloak.

Ron shivered in his cell in Azkaban.  He didn't know he was in Azkaban.  He just thought it was terribly cold and miserable looking at his father's dead body on the kitchen floor.  The sight didn't leave him no matter where he turned.  It was only his father he could see.

The dementors loved new prisoners.  This new prisoner, half of the dementors watched, haunting him, making him cry and scream.  He'd already screamed himself hoarse, without knowing it.

Sirius Black listened to Dumbledore with his face in his hands.  As soon as Harry had written him, worried about Ron not showing up for school, he ran to Hogwarts demanding answers, for if he were in Harry's shoes, he'd be worried too, and Sirius knew Harry had enough to worry about without the whereabouts of his best friend.

"I don't want Harry to know, because the second he finds out, he'll run straight to Ron.  Azkaban is full of dementors, which cause Harry to pass out every time he's near one, and half the prisoners in Azkaban want to kill him.  I know Harry is worried, but I'd rather him be the one worrying, rather than us worrying about him."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"I get that.  We're not telling Harry.  He doesn't need to know."  Sirius said resignedly.  "Did you speak with Ron?"

"I can't leave the castle."  Dumbledore said.

"You don't believe he did it, do you?"  Sirius asked.

"I believe he is as innocent as you are."  Dumbledore said.

"Did you hear something?"  Sirius asked walking over to the door.

The door swung open and Sirius hid behind it as Charlie entered the office.

"Professor Dumbledore, are you busy?"  Charlie asked.

Professor Dumbledore looked to the door, and a black dog came trotting over to his side.

"Not quite.  What can I do for you Mr. Weasley?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"Can you talk to Fudge and ask him to stop being so terribly stupid?  I'm seriously thinking about letting some dragons free over there.  I just thought you might want to spare your friend the trouble."  Charlie said angrily.

Professor Dumbledore couldn't help but be amused.  Though he spoke seriously and looked at Charlie with concern.  "The minister and I aren't exactly friendly nowadays.  What would you have liked me to talk to him about?"

"Ron.  He's holding him in Azkaban, and he keeps pushing the date for the trial back!  First of all Ron shouldn't be in Azkaban!  He's a minor, and he didn't kill my father!  He couldn't and he sure as hell wouldn't!  Second of all those dementors drive full grown wizards mad!  My brother isn't even sixteen years old, and he's already been made to endure twenty-four hours in there!  Fudge won't let me go and see my brother, because I know he's innocent!  He needs to know that somebody in his family believes him, but Fudge isn't being cooperative.  My brother's in hell right now, and he doesn't deserve it, and on top of that there's nobody there to keep him sane!  Fudge said he'd have my brother's trial sometime during the last two weeks of this month.  Then he said the thirtieth, but then he said it would have to be some time in October, because he's a busy man.  My father was murdered, and he's just going to push the trial back as late as he can.  If anything he should move it forward.  A fifteen-year-old boy is suffering every second in there, and he doesn't give a damn!"  Charlie cried.

"Yea, and your temper's not helping."  Bill said.  He had entered just in time to catch Charlie talking about Ron.  "Hello Professor Dumbledore.  Sorry about him.  I think he's having a breakdown.  Fudge really pushed his buttons.  I tried explaining to Charlie that you and Fudge weren't exactly best friends, but he's desperate to see that Ron's all right.  So am I for that matter, I believe that Ron's innocent, but even if he did it, which I know he can't have, he still doesn't deserve that place.  I need to know for sure, and I really want to talk to my brother.  Fudge won't let us see him, because we think that he's innocent, so if you think it would help any, would you please talk to Fudge?"

"Boys, please have a seat."  Dumbledore began.

They both sat down.

"I know that if I were to talk to the Minister, he'd only make things worse for your brother.  What you need is somebody who is likely to think that Ron is guilty to get a visitor's pass from Fudge."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"What's the good in that?  That's only going to make the situation worse!  Send Percy to Azkaban, and he'll spit in Ron's face and chew him out, making him feel a hundred times worse, and the dementors will only make Ron remember how terrible he feels for the rest of his life."  Charlie said.

"No, Charlie, that's it!  We get Percy to get a visitor's pass from Fudge, and he'll give it to us so that we can visit him."  Bill said.

"That's never going to happen.  We'd have to hurt him to steal it from him, and then he'd go running to Fudge, about how he never went.  He'd never take part in deceiving Fudge."  Charlie said.

"Unless he didn't know he was deceiving him."  Bill said with a meaningful look.

Charlie nodded to Bill and then looked back to the Headmaster.  "You can't do anything to move his trial closer?"  Charlie asked.

"I will be writing to Fudge, telling him that he'd better have the trial before the end of the month, or I'll go to the _Daily Prophet_ and give him a bad name, which would be the end of his ministry days.  Though, I can't promise to go to the papers about this, as this could really ruin your brother's name."  Dumbledore said.

"We understand.  We would've gone there ourselves, but we don't want this blown up, because we know he's innocent, but if Fudge got one word in, the whole wizarding world would see him as guilty."  Charlie said.

"That and I don't like that Rita Skeeter.  She called me a long haired pillock."  Bill said bitterly.

There was a knock on the door ending any further conversation.  Filch entered with Fred and George looking offended.

"Ah, Headmaster, sir.  You're busy I see.  I couldn't find their head of house, and so I thought I'd let you deal with them, but as you're busy..."

"He's not.  What have those miscreant brothers of ours done now?"  Charlie asked.

"All the toilet seats in the school have been stolen.  These two were seen roaming the halls today, and they always seem to be in trouble."  Filch explained.

"Sir, he can only assume it's us; he really doesn't have anything to go on."  George said seriously though he threatened to burst with laughter.

Charlie snorted and Bill covered his grin with his hand.

"I say you lock them up and throw away the key."  Charlie said.  "They're nothing but trouble."

"No, but then they'd just pick the lock with a pin."  Bill reminded.

"I believe Professor McGonagall might be in the Great Hall."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"No, she had to speak with Professor Snape.  You might want to try his office."  Bill said.

"All right then.  Thanks."  Filch said.

They left the office.

"All right then.  We must be going as well.  We've got to go trick Percy.  Thanks for all your help."  Charlie said standing up and shaking hands with Dumbledore.

"Yea, thanks."  Bill said also shaking hands with him.

"Boys, I want you to know that I'm truly sorry about your father, and I will do everything I can to help Ron."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"Thanks."

Bill and Charlie were walking out of the castle doors, when a familiar voice called their names.

"Bill!  Charlie!  What are you doing here?"  Ginny asked happily as she ran down the steps of the castle.

"Hey Ginny."  Bill said smiling.

"How are you doing?"  Charlie asked picking her up in a tight hug.

Ginny laughed.  "I'm all right.  What are you two doing here?"  Ginny asked again.

"Wow, you've grown up, since we last saw you."  Charlie said.

"Yea, I think you did grow a bit since…" Bill stopped to think.

"Since June in your case.  It was November for Charlie.  Why won't you tell me why you're here?  I'm not as stupid as you think."  Ginny said.

"We don't think you're stupid!"  Charlie said quickly.

"There's no such thing as a stupid Weasley."  Bill said.

"Then stop treating me like I'm stupid, and tell me why you're here.  Please."  Ginny said.

"I'll tell you why we're here, if you tell us the truth about something first."  Charlie said.

"What?"  Ginny asked.

"Let's go outside."  Bill said.

They walked to the Great Lake out of earshot and started talking again.

"Ginny, I want to know who really gave you that bruise.  Please be completely honest.  Bill and I won't tell Grandfather or Ron, but we need to know who hit you."  Charlie said.

"It was an accident!  He didn't mean to hit me, I know he didn't."  Ginny said biting her bottom lip.  She sighed.  "Grandfather hit me, but he didn't know it was me when he swung.  He thought I was asleep."

"Is that the truth?"  Charlie asked.

"Yes, I didn't want to lie to mum, but Grandfather was going to kill Ron if I told the truth.  At the time we were stuck there, because mum didn't know any of my friends' parents well enough to ask for a favor, and Ron didn't have anywhere to go, so we couldn't leave."  Ginny said.  "Now tell me why you're here."

"Ginny, mum would be really mad at us if we told you everything…"

"So I won't tell her I know.  I'm really good at keeping secrets, and I won't see mum until at least Christmas, and I'm not going to owl her the minute you tell me.  Please tell me everything, including what mum doesn't want me to know."  Ginny pleaded.

Charlie looked at Bill with a pleading look.  Charlie couldn't tell Ginny, but at the same time he would if he opened his mouth.

Bill sighed.  "I'll try and tell you everything I know, but you have to promise me that you won't tell Fred or George, or Harry or Hermione or anybody."  Bill said.

"Especially not mum."  Charlie added.  It didn't seem fair to keep things from his family.

"I promise."  Ginny said seriously.

"Dad was… murdered."  Bill said.

"What?"  Ginny asked unbelievingly.  She was taken back.  "What about Ron?  He was at the burrow too!  What happened to him?"  Ginny cried.

"Calm down, please Ginny.  This is why mum didn't want you to know."  Bill said.

"How can I calm down?  Ron didn't show up for school, dad's dead, and you want me to calm down?"  Ginny asked as tears filled her eyes.

"Ron's alive, I promise you that, but I need you to calm down so I can tell you what's happened to him."  Bill said.

"I think she knows too much as it is.  That's a lot right there."  Charlie said.

"What happened to Ron?"  Ginny asked in a tone that demanded answers.  Her eyes were red and tears were falling down her face, but she was determined to get answers.

"Charlie!"  Hagrid's cheerful voice called from his hut across the lawn.  "Charlie, what're you doin' 'ere?"

"In a second Hagrid."  Charlie called back.

"What happened to Ron?"  Ginny asked again in the same tone as before, reminding her brother of the question.

Charlie didn't want to lie to Ginny, but he didn't want his sister to be any more upset than she already was.  To know that her father was murdered was beyond overwhelming alone!  To tell her that the brother who had been her best friend for the first ten years of her life, her closest brother, was in the worst place imaginable was just wrong.

"Nothing's happened to Ron.  He's just upset about dad, and he couldn't come back to Hogwarts in tears, it's unmanly.  You know how Ron has a lot of pride."  Charlie lied.

Ginny glared at her brother and slapped him hard across the face.  "You lied to me!  I hate you!"  Ginny shrieked.

"Ginny!"  Bill cried grabbing his sister tightly around the waist so she couldn't run.

"Let go of me!  I hate you too!"  Ginny cried as she kicked at her brother.

"Calm down!"  Charlie cried.

"Tell me where Ron is!"  Ginny yelled.

"You have to calm down!"  Charlie cried.

"What happened?"  Hagrid asked as he approached the trio of redheads who were yelling.

"Ginny calm down!"  Bill tried.

"Tell me what happened to Ron!"  Ginny cried.  She was hysterically crying.

"Ginny… what's wrong?"  Hagrid asked with much concern.

"Charlie lied to me, my whole family's lying to me!  I want to know where my brother is!  They know, but they won't tell me!"  Ginny shouted, composing herself.

"We want to tell you, but you need to calm down."  Bill said forcefully.

"You three want to have a cup of tea in me hut?"  Hagrid offered.

"Please."  Charlie said with relief.

In Hagrid's hut, Hagrid poured three cups of tea as he listened to Bill explain what had just happened.

"Our mother didn't want Ginny, Fred, or George to know about anything going on, but they're bound to find out.  I know Ginny's responsible and mature enough to understand the truth, and I know my mum would never tell her, so I thought it would be better for her to know now, while we were here, since our presence stirred so many questions.  The thing is, it's very overwhelming, and we haven't even told her the worst part.  I'm afraid that she'll do something drastic if we tell her the rest."

"I'm in the room."  Ginny said bitterly.  "And you'd better tell me the rest."

"May I ask what the truth is, or the part that Ginny already knows?"  Hagrid asked.

"Our father was murdered."  Bill said.

Hagrid's expression turned sympathetic.  "I'm very sorry.  I can't tell you how sorry I am.  I lost me dad when I was twelve, and I know the pain very well."  Hagrid said.

"Sorry."  Charlie said understandingly.

"Anyway, I ought to tell you the worst of it."  Bill said.

"I'm not leaving.  You're telling me too."  Ginny said warningly.

"Do I have your word that you won't tell Fred or George?"  Bill asked sharply.

"Yes."  Ginny said.

"If you're telling yer sister, why don't ya tell yer brothers?  They ought to know as well."  Hagrid said.

"Fred and George don't need to know the truth right now.  There are a lot of terrible things happening, and they're just the funniest people we know.  I reckon they can make anybody happy.  If they found out about everything, they'd be really depressed, and I don't want to kill their spirits, not now.  They'll find out at a time that's more appropriate.  The only reason I'm telling Ginny, is because she and Ron were really close, and I don't want her to hear it from somebody else."  Bill explained.

"What do you mean we _were_ very close?"  Ginny asked apprehensively.

"Ron's still alive Ginny, but you have to understand something.  Fudge doesn't believe that You-know-who is back.  The Ministry was torn apart because half believed that he is back, and half didn't.  Dad believed that he was back, because Harry saw him."  Bill said.

"There was no dark mark or anything the night of the attack on the burrow.  Fudge doesn't believe that You-know-who or any of the death eaters were responsible for the murder.  He thinks that You-know-who is gone, and the death eaters are all in Azkaban or dead."  Charlie helped.

"What are you trying to say?"  Ginny asked looking tearfully from Charlie to Bill.

"The only other person home on the night of the attack was Ron."  Bill started.

"Wait, that makes no sense… where was mum?"  Ginny asked.

"Dad took Ron home, away from Grandfather's, against mum's wishes.  Mum stayed with Grandfather.  They separated."  Charlie explained.

"But dad should've brought Ron home!  Grandfather would've killed him, if he had to stay there all summer!  You don't know what Ron had to put up with!  Mum should've went home with dad!"  Ginny cried.

"I agree with you."  Charlie said.

"Who does Fudge think murdered yer father, if he doesn't think it was you-know-who?"  Hagrid asked, interrupting Charlie and Ginny.

Ginny looked up at Hagrid and then she looked to Bill.

"Ron was the only other person home on the night of the attack."  Bill said becoming interested in the boarhound, Fang, who had come over and rested his head on Bill's lap.

"Fudge thinks Ron killed dad?"  Ginny cried with horror.  "Because he was the only other person there?"

"Fudge believes that Ron killed dad, because he was the only other person there, and because the last spell on Ron's wand was the killing curse."  Bill mumbled.

Hagrid and Ginny heard him though.

"Ron didn't kill him though!"  Charlie said insistently.

"No, he didn't."  Bill said.  "We wanted to tell you Ginny, so you'd know he was innocent.  Mum believes Ron to be guilty, but you know Ron can't have done it.  Ron loved dad."

"Ron wouldn't kill him."  Ginny said with teary eyes.

"No, he certainly wouldn't.  I don't think he did it."  Hagrid agreed.  "That'll be the second time Fudge sent an innocent man to Azkaban.  I mean… wait!  He's not in Azkaban, is he?"

"He can't be, right?"  Ginny asked.

"Fudge thinks he's a murderer.  He doesn't care how young Ron is."  Bill said.

"He can't have sent him to Azkaban!  He's only fifteen!  He'll go mad in there!  Tell me he wasn't sent there!"  Ginny cried standing up.

"You don't know how bad I wish I could say that."  Bill said.

"He can't do that!"  Ginny shrieked.  "He can't!  Did he even get a trial?"

"His trial's sometime next month."  Bill said.

"_Next month_?"  Ginny cried.  "Ron will have died by the end of this week!  He can't keep him in there that long without a trial!"

"Dumbledore's going to make Fudge move it up, or he'll go to the _Daily Prophet_ and give him a bad name."  Charlie said.

"His name's already terrible!  They should remove him now, before he causes any more mistakes!  Ron shouldn't be in there before his trial!  This isn't right!"  Ginny sobbed.

"Nothing's right anymore."  Charlie cried as he embraced his crying sister.

"Go away, please go away… go away… leave me alone… please leave me alone.  Just go away… please… please…" Ron mumbled as he rubbed his eyes to stay in focus.  He had curled himself up into a ball on his bed, which was actually a wooden board attached to the cement wall with a pillow and blanket on it, in the farthest corner of his cell away from the dementors, which wasn't far at all.  He sat next to the barred window looking outside to the violent crashing waves that encircled the island of Azkaban, making escape impossible.  The breeze from the ocean's air was brutal enough, as it was freezing.  Ron only had a worn blanket and his robes, which were filthy from him not having showered since before he had come across a violent ferry ride.

Ron had come back to reality when dementors had left him alone for him to eat his supper.  They had rules to follow, and in order for them to continue to torture the prisoners, they had to keep them alive.  Therefore they had to let them eat in some peace.  Though Ron could find no peace here.

Ron couldn't eat the dinner they gave him, as hungry as he was, used to having extra helpings at every meal and having no meals for two days, he would've wolfed anything down, except this plate of dinner that had spiders crawling all over it.

Ron coughed painfully for two minutes without stopping.  The freezing ocean air was making him sick.  He was sure he'd catch pneumonia.

He only had a few minutes before the dementors came back to haunt him.  Every minute seemed like a day, and he hadn't even been in there a week.  He didn't know how long he'd been in there though, and nobody here could tell him.  He was sure he'd been in Azkaban for almost a month, and nobody had come to visit him.  But then again who would visit a murderer?  But he didn't do it!  Then again who would believe him over Fudge.  He wanted to kill Fudge.  He gasped in horror.  Had he wanted to kill his father?  Could he have done it?  Ron wasn't sure anymore.  Had he killed his father?  When the dementors came to haunt him all he saw was his father's dead body, and he heard his father yelling at him, he heard how disappointed and ashamed he was.  He also heard Fudge yelling at him with disgust about how he murdered his father.  He couldn't have!  He wouldn't have!  But did he?  The questions haunted him.

A terrible feeling inside his stomach and head were letting him know the dementors were returning.  Ron cried to himself, covering his ears trying to block out the hateful and angry voices.  He had to block them out somehow.  At the back of his mind he remembered a lullaby his father had sung him when he was a baby.  He never remembered it before now, though his father had told him about it several times.  He knew it and sang it to block out the dementors.  His voice was soft from having lost it several times from screaming and crying.  Still he sang.

_On the day I was born_

_Said me father said he_

_I've an elegant legacy_

_Waiting for Ye_

_'Tis a rhyme for your lips_

_And a song for your heart_

_To sing it whenever_

_The world falls apart_

_Look, look, look to the rainbow_

_Follow it over the hills and streams_

_Look, look, look to the rainbow_

_Follow the fellow who follows the dreams_

_Such a sumptuous gift _

_To bequeath to a child_

_Oh, the lure of that song_

_Kept my feet running wild_

_For you never grow old_

_And you never stand still_

_With A whippoorwill singing_

_Beyond the next hill_

_Look, look, look to the rainbow_

_Follow it over the hills and streams_

_Look, look, look to the rainbow_

_Follow the fellow who follows the dreams_

_So I followed me heart_

_And I roamed the world free_

_To the east with the lark_

_To the west with the sea_

_So I searched all the world_

_And I scanned all the skies_

_Till I found it at last_

_In me own true love's eyes_

_Look, look, look to the rainbow_

_Follow it over the hills and streams_

_Look, look, look to the rainbow_

_Follow the fellow who follows the dreams_

_Follow the fellow_

_Follow the fellow_

_Follow the fellow who follows the dreams…_

Ron thought of his father and then of Hermione.  Hermione was the only female friend he had.  Would he ever find true love?

His thoughts darkened as the dementors swarmed around outside of his cell.  Instead of wondering about true love, he found the meaning to true hate.

Author's Note:  Thank you all so much for your reviews and support and for continuing to read my story.  I feel satisfied with this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it.  I know you might not all agree with Ron singing.  I can't picture it, but the song seemed right if you read the words, because the world around Ron is falling apart.  It's cool if you don't like it.  I had second thoughts about putting it in there.  The song is called Look To The Rainbow from a musical called Finian's Rainbow.  I never saw the movie, but the song is pretty.  I only heard it because it was one of the songs I used to sing.  So I hope you enjoy!  Have a wonderful Christmas!  I'll try to have another chapter up by/on Christmas day.  I can't promise anything though.  I have to go Christmas shopping, and Christmas day is out of the question for writing anything.  So check back, and if nothing's updated, check back on the twenty-seventh.  Thank you so much for the reviews!  I really appreciate all of them!  Happy Holidays and God Bless!  ~*Carey*~           

         


	7. Ginny's Journey

**Misunderstood**

**Chapter Seven**

**Ginny's Journey**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the plot to this story.  All characters that you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling and Scholastic and all them people.

"Sirius, he's already missed a week of lessons!  We take our O.W.L.S this year.  It's important that he comes back soon.  Where is he?"  Hermione asked Harry's Godfather in the common room very late at night on the eighth of September.

"Sirius, please tell me.  I know Dumbledore told you, and he probably doesn't want you to tell me, but if something happened to my dad you wouldn't care.  You'd do anything to know.  Please… tell me where Ron is."  Harry said.

"I can't.  I don't want you to do something stupid."  Sirius said.

"Why would I do something stupid?"  Harry asked.

"I can't tell you.  I want to, but I'm your Godfather, and it's my job to see that you're safe, and I'm not going to tell you where Ron is, because you'll do anything to get there, and it's not safe for you."  Sirius said.

"Why isn't it safe?  Does Voldemort-"

"No, this has nothing to do with Voldemort… well I think it does, but he's not in danger of Voldemort."  Sirius said.

"Shh…" Hermione whispered.

Sirius transfigured himself back into a dog and hid behind an armchair as the door to the fourth year girl's dormitories opened.

A red-eyed Ginny Weasley came out of her dorm wearing her robes and a cloak.  She gasped seeing Harry and Hermione in the common room.

"I'm sorry… I didn't think anybody would be up at this hour."  Ginny whispered.

"Neither did we.  Where are you headed?"  Hermione asked.

"Er… to the bathroom."  Ginny said avoiding eye contact.

"You're lying Ginny."  Hermione said.

"Well, it's not important.  What are you doing up?"  Ginny asked.

"We were just talking about Ron."  Harry said.  "Where were you going Ginny?"

"For a walk."  Ginny said.

"Where were you walking to at such a late hour with your cloak on?"  Hermione asked raising an eyebrow.

"Can we join you?"  Harry asked.

"No."  Ginny said.

"Ginny, where's Ron?  You've been upset for a while now, and I know you know something… Please tell me where he is."  Harry said.

"I can't."  Ginny said.

"You knew what it was like to not know!  Somehow you found out… who told you?  Where is Ron?"  Harry asked.

"I can't tell you!"  Ginny cried.

"How about me?"  Hermione asked.

"I can't tell you either!  I'm not even supposed to know!  I know it's not fair, but nothing's fair anymore!"  Ginny cried and tears of frustration fell from her eyes.  She turned around to wipe her face.  She ran to the portrait hole, but Harry stopped her first.  He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her toward the couch.

"Why can't you tell me?"  Harry asked.  "Why can't I go with you?  You could get caught running around at this hour, and I have an Invisibility cloak you could use…"

"Harry!  Don't be stupid!"  Hermione snapped seeing Sirius from the corner of her eye.  "Nobody's telling you, for your safety.  Lend me the cloak and I'll go with Ginny."

Harry looked flabbergasted.  His best friend who was a prefect, was correcting him, and was trying to do the same thing!

Ginny even looked shocked and at the same time bewildered.

"No you can't go if I don't go!"  Harry said firmly.

"Neither of you can go.  Hermione if you're caught, you'll lose your prefect badge, and it's not safe for you to go Harry."  Ginny said.

"My friends come first."  Hermione said.

"Exactly, that's another reason, you can't come.  Once you find out, you'll tell Harry."  Ginny said.

"Tell me what?"  Harry asked angrily.  He was fed up with not knowing.

"Ginny, I'm going with you no matter what you say.  If you won't let me, I'll go wake Professor McGonagall and tell her you've left the castle."  Hermione said, ignoring Harry.

"Go ahead, I'll be long gone by then."  Ginny said nastily.  She couldn't believe Hermione would tell on her!

"I'll follow you, and you won't be able to stop me."  Hermione said resolutely.

"Same here."  Harry said.

"No you won't!"  Hermione snapped.

"If you're going then I'm going!"  Harry argued.

"Neither of you are going!"  Ginny snapped.

"Oh yes I am!"  Hermione retorted.

"So am I."  Harry said determinedly.

"Harry!  You can't go!  At least let me go!"  Hermione said.

"I'm going."  Harry said.

Sirius barked loudly.

"Snuffles, be quiet!"  Hermione cried pleadingly.  "You'll wake everybody up!"

Sirius only continued to bark at this.  Sure enough, it woke quite a few people up, one of which being Professor McGonagall, who rushed into the common room, finding not a dog, but a whole bunch of half asleep Gryffindors, and three wide awake students, one with a cloak on.

"Everybody, go back to bed… I'm sure that Fang, was just spooked by something or another, we know how loud he can be."  McGonagall said reassuringly.

Most students turned to their dormitories.  "Everybody, but you three."  Professor McGonagall said, gaining everybody's attention.

"Ms. Weasley, Ms. Granger, and Mr. Potter... I must inquire why you are so awake at this hour."  Professor McGonagall said.

"Professor McGonagall," Professor Dumbledore said as he stepped through the portrait hole.  "I must also ask these three students a few things, perhaps we could move this to my office."

"Certainly."  Professor McGonagall said.

"Mr. Potter, bring that mutt of yours with you.  If he can't keep himself quiet, there is a soundproof room in my office that he's more than welcome to stay in."  Professor Dumbledore said.

Slowly, Sirius crawled out from beneath the armchair and made his way to Dumbledore running past the three students before they could do him any harm.

The black dog, known as Snuffles led the way to Dumbledore's office, where Dumbledore said the password allowing the three students, the dog, and Professor McGonagall to enter his office.

"Have a seat, please."  Dumbledore said.

The three students sat down in front of Dumbledore's desk.

"Are you going to tell me where Ron is now?"  Harry asked before Dumbledore could start.

"Mr. Potter, I've brought you here to ask you why you and Ms. Granger are wide awake at this hour, and I've brought Ms. Weasley here to ask her where she was planning on going so late at night with her cloak on.  Therefore, your answer is no, I don't have any intentions of letting you know where Mr. Weasley is."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"Professor, Harry and I were worried about Ron, so we couldn't sleep and we were talking in the common room.  That's why we were up."  Hermione explained.

Professor Dumbledore studied Hermione and Harry for a minute and then nodded knowingly.  "I trust that blasted dog gave you no help."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"He was more of a hinder than a help sir."  Hermione explained.

"Let's hope so."  Professor Dumbledore said.

Ginny and Professor McGonagall were clueless as to what they were talking about, as they didn't know that the dog was an Animagus by the name of Sirius Black, a fugitive in the wizarding world.

"Ms. Weasley, where were you planning on going at this late hour?"  Professor McGonagall asked.

"To find Ron."  Ginny said.

"But who told you?"  Professor McGonagall asked.

"Nobody.  I don't know where he is.  I was going to find him."  Ginny explained.

"So did Bill or Charlie tell you, or was it both of them?"  Professor Dumbledore asked with a knowing smile.

"If you're going to write my mum, tell her it was Charlie.  He wasn't going to tell me the whole story."  Ginny said bitterly.

"Well can you tell me part of the story?"  Harry asked hopefully.

"No."  Ginny said rolling her eyes.

"Do you realize, that by leaving school grounds after curfew could've resulted in you being suspended?"  Professor McGonagall asked.

"Well then I'd be able to see Ron, wouldn't I?"  Ginny asked.

"Why, is Ron at the burrow?"  Harry asked.

"No."  Ginny said.  "But if I went home and my mum went to visit him, she'd have to bring me."

"Well, Ms. Weasley, fortunately for you, you haven't been suspended."  Professor McGonagall said pointedly.

"Professor, I need to have a word with Ms. Weasley, would you please make sure Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger get to their dormitories?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter, come along now."  Professor McGonagall said starting for the door.

"Harry, bring your dog with you.  He'll alert us if anybody tries to leave."  Professor Dumbledore said with a smile.

"Snuffles come!"  Harry said rolling his eyes.

Sirius growled.

"Don't make me get the newspaper!"  Harry warned.

Sirius growled as he ran past Harry.

Once reassured that the three had left the room Professor Dumbledore looked at Ginny intently.

"Ms. Weasley, how did you intend on getting to Azkaban?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"My grandfather had given me some money at the beginning of summer.  I figured I could take the Knight Bus."  Ginny said.

"You have to take the ferry over to Azkaban, no other source of transportation will take you there, they're not authorized to."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"I know that sir, I was planning on taking the Knight bus to the ferry."  Ginny said.

"Do you think that the dementors would let you in?"  Professor Dumbledore asked. 

"I'm family."  Ginny said.

"You're underage.  You also need a pass authorized by the Minister himself, to see any prisoner, and he won't even give one to your brothers."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"He has to!"  Ginny cried.

"He's the minister, and he does what he pleases, therefore, he does not have to do anything."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"He needs to see me!  I need to see him!  He needs to know I believe him!"  Ginny cried.

"Ms. Weasley, the Minister won't let anybody who does believe Ron's innocence visit him."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"That's not fair."  Ginny cried.

"The Minister isn't being fair."  Professor Dumbledore said gently.

"Professor I'm sorry for being so stupid."  Ginny said as she stood up.

"Ms. Weasley, stupid is not a word that I reserve for you.  Your heart is in the right place, and your intentions were good, but you must also think of the consequences and obstacles before running straight into them."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"I'll try and remember that."  Ginny said as she left Dumbledore's office.

Ginny made her way back into the common room and she went directly to bed.  Though she didn't sleep at all.  She tossed and turned worrying about her brother.  She couldn't imagine being trapped in her own mind with nothing but terrible thoughts for more than five minutes!  Ron had to put up with that for a week.  She wondered if he was still alive.  Her family had been hiding the fact that her dad had been killed and that Ron was in Azkaban, surely they wouldn't hesitate to hide the fact that Ron had died, especially after the way she handled the news of her father's murder alone!  

Ginny remembered the time that the dementors had come on to the train back in third year.  Ron had been shifting uncomfortably and had admitted that he felt as though he'd never be cheerful again, and they weren't even there five minutes!  Ginny couldn't stand the thought of Ron unhappy.  The beginning of the summer for what she was there for had been some of the most miserable days in her life.  Despite that her Grandfather spoiled her, he had made Ron most unhappy.  

Ginny stood up unable to sleep.  It was six in the morning.  She gathered her school bag, emptying it of the books, inkbottles, and quills and gathered her small bag of money that she had saved.  Her grandfather had sent her a galleon each week of the summer, for anything, just so she would know he still cared about her.  She had ten galleons saved.  She hoped it would be enough for all the places she needed to go, and she also prayed that Fudge would give her a pass to Azkaban.  She braced herself for what the next twenty-four hours would bring.

As she walked to Hogsmeade, she remembered the time her father had to go out to Azkaban.  He said it was the worst place in the world, and he was terribly weak and shaky.  She'd have to be stronger than ever for Ron's sake.

She used her wand to signal for the Knight Bus, which nearly ran her over as it came out of nowhere driving crazily.

She paid Stan the conductor of the bus a galleon for the Knight bus to take her to the Ministry of Magic building.

She was authorized by the goblins and found her way to the Minister's office.  The ministry was quiet at this early hour.  Ginny knocked on the door.

Fudge looked surprisingly at her, but he let her enter the office.

"Ms. Weasley, I'm terribly sorry about your father, but why aren't you at Hogwarts?"  Fudge asked.

"My father was murdered.  That traitorous brother of mine killed him.  I want him to know how much I hate him."  Ginny said spitefully.  "My mum won't let me see him, because she insists he's innocent.  I need to tell him how much I despise him, or else I'll feel in like my responsibility to my father is unfulfilled, and I shouldn't have to feel guilty because of my mum's opinion.  Please may I see that murdering traitor that I have to call my brother?"

"Of… of course."  Fudge said.  "Does Professor Dumbledore know you're here?"

"No, he thinks Ron's innocent as well."  Ginny said.

"Ah, well then… how long did you want to see him for?"  Fudge asked.

"Not long at all!  Only long enough so he's haunted by my hate for the rest of his life."  Ginny said callously.

"An hour then?"  Fudge asked.

"An hour's perfect."  Ginny said.

"Do you have money for the Knight bus?"  Fudge asked.

"Yes."  Ginny said.

"Well good luck.  Bring a lot of chocolate with you."  Fudge said.

"Thanks."  Ginny said taking the visitor's pass for Azkaban from Fudge and leaving.

As she left the Ministry she couldn't help but feel guilty for everything she had just said.  She lied in order to get the pass, and it worked, but still she said hateful words against her brother.  Ron would need all the help he could get, if Fudge was being so thick.

Just as she signaled for the Knight Bus a Hit Witch came running after her.  "Ginny Weasley!"  She shouted.

Ginny turned looking defeated.  She had been caught!

"Ginny Weasley?  I'm Hit Witch Diane Watson.  The Minister wants me to watch you and help you out in Azkaban.  The dementors are extremely tough."  Diane said offering her hand to Ginny.  Ginny shook it with relief.

They took the Knight Bus to Hogsmeade and Ginny bought as much chocolate as she could get from Honeydukes.  They then took the Knight bus to the ferry that would take her to Azkaban.  Stan thought she was mental.

They took the long ferry ride to the small island that held Azkaban Fortress.  Ginny stepped shakily into the fortress that was the prison and nearly collapsed as she felt the dementors' presence.  She could hear prisoners screaming and crying, and had to lean against the wall as to not pass out.  The Hit Witch seemed strong and determined as she spoke to the dementors, and soon enough, Ginny was pushed into Ron's cell with support from Diane.

"I'm going to be checking on other prisoners.  Will you be all right by yourself?"  Diane asked.

"Yes madam, thank you."  Ginny said.

"Just yell if you need anything."  Diane said.

"Thanks."  Ginny said taking out a chocolate frog and eating it.  Some warmth was coming back to her.

She looked around Ron's cell and found Ron sobbing in a corner on his bed.  He was pale and skinnier than usual.  Ginny could hear his difficult breathing, as he was so sick.  He shivered violently, though he didn't look up from his arms, which his face was buried in.  Ginny had never seen Ron cry before, and never had he cried like this.

Ginny walked over to her older brother taking out a big bar of chocolate.  She took off her cloak wrapping it tightly around his body, which was tucked into a small ball.

"Ron?  Ron, can you hear me?"  Ginny asked softly.

Ron's head jerked up violently with shock.  He looked around his cell, looking for Ginny.  Ginny watched, as he looked right through her.  His eyes were red from crying and they had a haunted look in them, and he seemed out of focus.  Tears threatened to fall from his eyes when he couldn't see his sister.

Ginny grabbed her brother's freezing hand tightly in hers and he squeezed her hand, squinting and opening his eyes trying to see her.

"Ginny?"  Ron's hoarse voice cried.  She could barely hear him.

"Ron, I'm right here.  I have chocolate, you need to eat some, so you can see me."  Ginny said trying to hold back her tears.

"No, you could be tricking me, how do I know it's you?"  Ron asked as tears fell down his face.

"Grandfather hit me this summer, not you… You sent me to Colin's house to save me.  Who else knows that?"  Ginny asked putting the chocolate in her brother's hands.

Ron took it and found his mouth, practically inhaling the bar of chocolate.  Ron opened his eyes and squinted to see Ginny.  He could see her, though she was blurry.

"Ginny!  How?"  Ron cried with disbelief.

"I can't explain.  Ron, what happened?"  Ginny asked.

"I didn't do it Gin, honest, I didn't do it!  I don't remember everything anymore, but I know that I didn't do it!  I remember waking up and finding dad dead.  I wanted to die Ginny… Dad saved me, and he risked his marriage to do that.  I wouldn't kill him Ginny!  I can hardly remember anymore.  It's getting harder to remember.  Sometimes, I can't be sure if I did it or not.  I remember now, but most of the time when I come back to reality, I can't be sure that I didn't do it.  I see dad's dead body on the floor and I hear Fudge yelling at me telling me I did it, and I want to kill Fudge, and I remember all the times dad yelled at me over the summer at Grandfather's.  It keeps confusing me!"  Ron sobbed.

"Did you perform the killing curse?"  Ginny asked trying to help him remember.

"No!  I know I didn't.  I'm sure I didn't."  Ron said.

"You don't remember if you were angry with dad that night?"  Ginny asked.

"No… it was mum… dad was mad at me because I was hoping that mum had a good reason for not coming home… and all the owl said was for him to bring me to King's Cross on time.  We went home and he apologized, and we talked about Quidditch and we played a game of Wizard's Chess.  No, that wasn't even it… that happened a week before… I can't remember him being mad at me after that though.  That night… he came in to tell me he loved me, that he was proud of me, and that he'd miss me when I went back to school… the next morning I woke up late.  I was running around looking for dad, and he was dead!  Ginny, I couldn't have done it… I know I didn't!"  Ron cried.

Ginny sobbed hugging her brother.  "I know you didn't do it Ron.  I believe you Ron.  Bill and Charlie do to."

"What?  Bill and Charlie?"  Ron asked.

"They believe you.  Fudge won't let them see you because they know you're innocent.  I had to lie and say I thought you were guilty so I could get a pass.  I had to let you know I believe you.  I love you Ron.  You've been my best friend and the best brother to me!  You don't deserve this!  I know you didn't kill dad."  Ginny cried.

Ron hugged his sister tightly.  "Thank you Ginny for believing me.  You've put up with me way too much."  Ron sobbed.  "Do me a favor, and don't let anybody know I cried."

Ginny cried.

Ron's lunch was pushed in, and Ginny nearly passed out as she saw the spiders crawling in and out of his pitiful sandwich.  Spiders were Ron's worst fear.

"Ron, please tell me you don't eat anything here."  Ginny gasped.

"I don't.  I would, but spiders… there are spiders in my food.  They put them in there to torture me.  I'm starving Ginny, but I can't eat that."  Ron sobbed.

Ginny dug out five chocolate bars.  "Eat them."  Ginny said.

Ron didn't hesitate.  He ate all five within five minutes.  "I don't know what I'd do without you.  You're the best sister anyone could ask for."  Ron said.

"Only because you're the best older brother anyone could ask for.  God knows where I would've been without you this summer."  Ginny cried.

Ron's cell opened and Diane was in front of the gates.

"Ginny, we have to go now, the ferry's leaving."  Diane said.

Ron realized Ginny's cloak was around him and handed it to her.  "Thank you Ginny for coming.  I love you.  Keep warm."  Ron sobbed.  Ron couldn't help but cry.  Ginny was the only person who he thought believed in him, and she was leaving him, but she couldn't stay.  He wouldn't want her to endure this anymore than she had.

"Keep it, it's the least I can do."  Ginny sobbed.

"You'll freeze.  Take it, so I don't feel guilty."  Ron pleaded.

Tears poured down Ginny's face as she took her cloak.  "I love you Ron!  You'll get out of here soon!"  Ginny cried and she hugged him and kissed his cheek before being pulled out by Diane.

Ginny couldn't help but cry the whole ferry ride and the entire time on the Knight bus.  She thanked Diane through a sob and continued to cry as she made her way from Hogsmeade back up to Hogwarts.  This wasn't fair!

Ginny made her way into the castle still sobbing, though she didn't care if anybody saw her.  If anybody else had seen what she had, they'd be crying too.  She climbed through the portrait hole still crying hysterically and went to her room without answering her brother or Hermione who were concerned for her.

"Ginny!  Please come out!"  George cried banging on the fourth year girls' dormitory door that Ginny had fallen down against.  He leaned his ear against the door, and could hear her sobbing.

"What happened?"  Fred asked with concern.  He had been talking in the corner with Angelina Johnson and was too absorbed in the conversation to notice Ginny, but his brother sounding concerned caught his attention.

"I don't know.  Ginny just came in crying!  I don't know if she's upset or hurt."  George said.

"You can go in there… you're a wizard, how many times must I remind you?"  Fred asked.

"Several, but the door's not locked, Ginny's sitting against it, and I don't want to hurt her.  And I don't want to go in there as it's a girl's dorm."  George said pounding on the door again turning the handle.  Ginny was still leaning against it.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"  Ginny sobbed.

Her cry caught everybody's attention in the common room.

Harry had been working on some homework and only now heard the situation going on.

"Ginny, I'm not leaving the other side of this door, until you tell me what's wrong!"  George said.

"Then you'd better make yourself comfortable because I'm not telling you!"  Ginny cried.  "I HATE YOU!"

"Why do you hate me Ginny, what did I do?"  George asked quietly.

"GO AWAY!"  Ginny shrieked, and George could hear her sobbing.

"Ginny, move away from the door please."  George said.

"NO!  YOU MOVE AWAY FROM THE DOOR!"  Ginny cried hysterically.

"Are you going to move away from the door?"  George asked.

"NO!  LEAVE ME ALONE!"  Ginny shrieked.

"Fine, just don't move."  George said.  He moved over to the side of the door and lifted his foot in the air.  He moved to kick it when-

"STOP!"  Professor McGonagall cried.

BAM!  George's last second decision with his foot in mid-air found him landing hard on the ground.

"Are you all right Mr. Weasley?"  Professor McGonagall asked, helping George up.

"I think I broke my butt."  George said wincing as he stood up, causing plenty of people to laugh.

"Well would you mind explaining why you were going to kick a hole in the fourth year females dormitory?"  Professor McGonagall asked.

"Ginny's really upset, and she won't come out, and I can't go in."  George said.

"Ms. Weasley, come out here right this minute!"  Professor McGonagall snapped rapping on the door.

Ginny came out still crying though it was a bit more control.

"Ms. Weasley, I need you to come with me.  The Headmaster needs to speak with you."  Professor McGonagall said.

Ginny left the room shaking with sobs as she followed Professor McGonagall out of the common room.

She followed the head of her house to Dumbledore's office without a word spoken.

They entered Dumbledore's office to find Mrs. Weasley there, and sitting beside Dumbledore was a black dog.

"Virginia Weasley!  What on earth were you thinking?  Do you know how foolish and dangerous that was to pull a stunt like that?"  Mrs. Weasley shouted angrily.

"Well somebody had to visit Ron!"  Ginny said spitefully.  "You don't know how bad it is there, because you haven't tried to see him!  See the Minister would've let you see him, because you believe he killed dad, but you haven't been to see him!"

"I haven't been to see him, and I can't believe you would go to see him after he hit you!"  Mrs. Weasley cried.

"Hit me?  Mum, Grandfather hit me!  Ron never did anything to hurt me, ever!  He only helped me out if anything!  He got me away from Grandfather!  You weren't there!  You didn't see how he treated Ron!"  Ginny shrieked.

"That means you lied to me!"  Mrs. Weasley said taken back.

"Of course I lied to you!  I had too!  The caution on the burrow wasn't going to be lifted any time soon, you never trust me to go over my friends' houses, so I was stuck at Grandfather's.  He threatened to kill me if either Ron or I told you the truth!  We didn't have a choice but to lie to you and dad.  Do you know how much it killed Ron to lie to dad's face, so that Grandfather wouldn't hurt me?  God knows Ron stopped caring for himself the minute you sent him there.  He hates himself every time something bad happens to me, and he didn't want to be responsible for me getting hurt.  God knows Grandfather would've blamed it on him anyway!  But you were too thick to see past Grandfather, even when dad told you the truth!  How could you leave dad?  He might've never been killed if you hadn't been so thick and left him!"  Ginny cried.

"Your father left me!"  Mrs. Weasley yelled.

"You should've went home with him then!  It was because you were too thick to see the truth.  You didn't believe Ron or dad!  You only believed Grandfather who's a manipulative bastard!  If it hadn't been for him, dad might still be alive, and Ron wouldn't have been framed!"  Ginny cried.

SMACK!  Mrs. Weasley slapped Ginny hard across the face.

"Molly!"  Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall cried in unison.

"Don't you ever, ever say anything like that again especially not about your Grandfather!"  Mrs. Weasley warned.

"I only stated the truth, because you're too blind to see it!"  Ginny said nastily.

"What on earth has Ronald done to you?"  Mrs. Weasley asked disappointedly.

"_Ron_ hasn't done anything but protect me!  Grandfather put him in Hell this summer, and he was framed for murdering the only person in the world who could save him, and now he's in Azkaban!  He is dying in there mum!  He's going mad, and he's dying!  Besides a few chocolate bars he had today, he hasn't eaten in a week!  Mum they're supposed to leave him alone so he can eat so he can live, but to torture him they put spiders in his meals!  Ron hates spiders, and I saw them push in his lunch, and spiders were crawling all over his sandwich!  Mum, it's so cold in Azkaban.  Their windows are only bars… there's no glass or wood or anything to keep the cold air out!  All Ron has is a filthy and soaked old cloak and a tattered thin blanket to keep him warm!  He's so sick mum, I could hear it when he breathed!  He lost his voice, and I could barely hear him when he spoke… though that was probably from screaming or crying!  Mum, Ron cried, and Ron never cries.  He never smiled; I don't even think he remembers how!  Mum, I thought Ron was blind when I first went in there.  He couldn't see me, and after he ate the chocolate, he had to squint to see a blur of me!  He could only hear me, and feel my hand."  Ginny sobbed remembering everything.

"That's not even the worst part!  Ron is losing his mind.  He can't remember anything anymore.  He doesn't even remember if he's innocent or not!  He's sure he didn't kill dad, but all he hears is Fudge yelling that he did, and all he sees is dad's dead body!  He said he remembers dad saying goodnight to him, and when he woke up he was running late, and he couldn't find dad.  He said when he did he was dead!  Mum, I know Ron didn't do it!  But he won't know if he did or not the day of the trial!  Mum, I don't think he'll be alive to go to the trial!  He's going to die in there!"  Ginny sobbed.  She fell to the ground everything went dark.

Author's Note:  I hope everybody has a merry Christmas!  Thanks for your reviews!  God Bless and Happy Holidays!  ~*Carey*~ 


	8. Ron's Relocation

Misunderstood

Chapter Eight

Ron's Relocation 

Disclaimer:  I don't own anything besides the plot to this story.  All characters that you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling and Scholastic and all them people.

Author's Note:  I've rewritten this chapter six times, I swear… sorry for the delay in posting, I just can't be satisfied.  I hope you all enjoy.  ~*Carey*~

Ginny entered the Gryffindor Common Room a little more than a week after she had her break down after Madam Pomfrey would finally let her leave.  The whole ten days, Ginny had insisted she was fine and could leave, but Madam Pomfrey said she was nowhere near fine and needed rest before giving her a potion to take.  Madam Pomfrey had been hesitant about letting Ginny leave, but Ginny insisted she was fine after ten days of rest, though it was for relaxation too, Ginny couldn't relax knowing her brother was terribly sick, cold, hungry, haunted, and on the verge of losing his mind if he hadn't lost it already.

George, Fred, Angelina, Lee, Katie, and Alicia were sitting at a corner table in the Gryffindor Common Room working on homework assignments.  Only George looked up from his homework that he was working on as he heard the portrait hole open.  George was always easily distracted, and would do anything to get out of doing his homework, and seeing Ginny was the perfect distraction as he was terribly worried about her.  George stood up and raced over to his sister's dormitory door, before she got there.

"George, leave me alone already, won't you?"  Ginny asked annoyed.

An idea popped into George's head and he turned serious.  "I will leave you alone, but I just wanted to apologize for not leaving you alone the other day, when you really wanted space.  I was just extremely worried about you, and you probably just thought I was going to tease you, but that wasn't my intention at all, and I'm sorry if I made things worse for you.  Mum's told me about _everything_ and I'd probably be upset with everything and everyone too if I had gone where you did.  I just wanted to make sure that you don't hate me, because with _everything_ going on, _I_ don't need or want to be hated."  George said quietly.

"Mum told you?"  Ginny asked.

"Yea, but she didn't tell Fred, so it's been kind of hard to deal with on my own, I've always had somebody to talk about stuff like this with, and Fred's gone and found Angelina and more happiness, and mum thinks at least one person should be able to be happy, and Fred's too distracted to notice that his family is hiding stuff from him, so I know and Fred doesn't.  That's the way it stays."  George said.

"Well, since you know, can we talk?"  Ginny asked hopefully.  "I mean you said you always had Fred to talk to about everything, and it is really difficult to handle by yourself, and I wasn't allowed to tell anybody else, and I really need to get some of it off of my mind.  There are parts even mum don't know about, and if mum told you, I'm sure she gave you her opinion."

"Yea, but I knew she was wrong."  George lied sadly.  

In all honesty, George knew nothing besides the fact that Ginny had been upset, and he also happened to see his mother at the castle the other day, so the lie was working out for him.

"Up for a walk?  Or we could talk somewhere with less people, as you don't look up for a walk."  George said.

"Don't be ridiculous.  I'm fine.  I'm up for a walk."  Ginny said.

Ginny and George left the castle, without answering any questions from Fred or Lee.

They were strolling around the perimeter of the castle in silence at first.  Then Ginny started speaking.

"I've been feeling really guilty… I was so worried about Ron that I haven't even mourned for dad.  I mean I flipped out when Charlie told me, but I was more upset that they weren't going to tell me the rest.  Isn't that horrible?  Dad is probably looking down on me with disappointment.  I've been worried about everything else, but dad… and none of it would've happened, if he wouldn't have died."  Ginny cried, not afraid to let tears fall down her face.

George looked at her with terror.  Ginny didn't notice as she looked at the grass she walked on.

"Can you believe how thick mum has been?  How could she believe that Ron would murder anybody?  She says it's because he's capable of doing anything after this summer, but I know that's not true.  Only I'd know that.  Ron didn't do any of the things Grandfather said.  The muggles attacked him, because he was new to the area!  Grandfather knew they'd harm him, so he told him about a Wizard's village just beyond that one, and Ron went and he got attacked.  He only did what he had to, to get away.  Ron never hit me, Grandfather didn't mean to, but he was drunk and I guess I scared him.  Ron didn't hit me though.  He'd die rather than hit me.  Grandfather made us lie, and he said that if I told the truth he'd hurt Ron, and Ron was getting whipped every night there.  He said if Ron told the truth he'd come after me again.  We had nowhere else to go, so we had to lie.  Ron sent me off, he was afraid for me, when if I hadn't gone, Grandfather would've ignored him during the days at least.  Dad saved him, dad didn't care anymore about the warning on the burrow, and Grandfather was going to kill Ron before You-know-who could.  Dad saved Ron, and Ron wouldn't kill anybody, especially not the person who saved him.  Now he's in Azkaban, and the worst part is mum doesn't believe him."  Ginny cried.  

"What's even worse than that is Fudge won't let anybody who believes Ron's innocence visit him!  Bill and Charlie can't see him.  I had to lie to Fudge to get a pass to Azkaban.  Ron didn't do it.  I know he didn't.  Fudge is just too bloody thick to see that You-know-who and the death eaters are back and accuses anybody he can to make everybody believe him.  Oh the son was the murderer, see no dark lord."  Ginny cried.  

Ginny wiped her tears and looked up at her brother, and gasped with dread.

"You didn't know?"  Ginny breathed with a whisper as tears streamed down her face.  Ginny cried and ran back into the castle running up to Gryffindor tower, giving the fat lady the password and running to her dorm.

George ran just behind her, and he followed her to her dorm, though Ginny had shut the door.

"Ginny, you want to know why I didn't know?"  George shouted angrily to Ginny on the outside of her door.

"George, what's wrong?"  Fred asked concernedly.  Fred had never seen his brother this angry and upset.  Neither had any of the other Gryffindors and they all stopped what they were doing to watch the scene unfolding in front of them and they all grew quiet to listen to the brother and sister argue.  Though, had they'd been talking, they'd still have caught every word exchanged.

Tears had fallen down his face, but he was too angry at the moment to care.

Ginny opened the door.  "Because you're a manipulative jerk!"  Ginny shrieked.

"No, it's because everybody left in our family has gone behind my back to make sure I didn't know!"  George yelled.

"There was a reason for not telling you, you half-wit!  It's because you'd act like this!"  Ginny screamed.

"That explains it all right there!"  George yelled cruelly.

Ginny stared at him angrily and slammed her dormitory door in his face.  George kicked it hard and it opened with Ginny staring angrily and disbelievingly at her older brother.

"You aren't done yet!  You owe me an explanation!  Where the hell is Ron now?"  George asked.

"In the same place as I told you!  Now get out!  I hate you!"  Ginny screamed.

"That's just fine, because I'm not especially pleased with you right now either!"  George yelled.

Ginny slapped George hard across the face.

George turned around and threw her against the wall.  "Who in the bloody hell do you think you are?  You were keeping this from me as well as the rest of them!  I have the right to be mad at you.  You weren't too bloody calm when you found out that they were keeping everything from you, were you?"  George yelled.  "You're the one who was wrong!  You're as bad as everybody else!"

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO TRICKED ME!"  Ginny yelled angrily shoving her brother away.

Fred and Lee pulled on George's robes to keep him from pushing Ginny again.  They had never seen George so angry and dangerous.  Had they not stopped him, George might've pushed Ginny into her room through the wall.  He was that upset.  

"What on earth is all the screaming about?"  Professor McGonagall asked.

"Professor McGonagall, I'm glad you're here.  I need you to speak to Professor Dumbledore about me going home immediately."  George said seething.

"And why do you want to go home?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

George hadn't noticed either Professor enter.

"So I can find out first the news about Ron.  Ginny told me what happened-"

"He tricked me!"  Ginny cried stepping out of her dorm glaring at George.

"I had to trick her into telling me about the current situation with my family, and I want to know first what's happening.  They're not going to owl us news, with them not being able to trust Ginny anymore, because of me, and they weren't going to tell me anything… I'm sure they probably know more already but they don't want Ginny to know, because of how upset she's been, and even if they were to tell Ginny anything more, she wouldn't tell me, and they certainly wouldn't tell me, because I'm not supposed to know.  Because of the situation, I'm allowed to go home."  George said meaningfully.

"What if there's a Quidditch match during the time you're gone?"  Professor McGonagall asked.

"It's only a game, and I'm replaceable."  George said reassuringly.  "I want to go home."

"You'll miss too many lessons, and this year you take your N.E.W.T.'S."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"I'll catch up.  I'm entitled to miss a certain amount of days due to certain events."  George said.

"I can't allow you to leave."  Professor Dumbledore said.  "I'm afraid that your home is still not safe."

"Well I don't care!  You arrange for me to go home, or I'll have to go to Fudge, who's so thick, he doesn't believe there's any danger, and he'll make sure that you arrange for me to go home."  George said dangerously.

"You don't have permission from your mother to go home."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"I don't want her permission, nor do I need it.  Fudge will have somebody bring me home personally just to make her mad if I say that she believes that there's some kind of danger at the burrow.  Just arrange for me to go home.  I won't be able to concentrate on anything if I've got other problems on my mind.  I won't do as well and I won't be able to learn.  Let me make it up when things are better, but in the meantime, please send me home.  I don't want to go through Fudge, but I really need to go home, so if you won't arrange for me to leave, I'll make sure he does.  It's either that or I'll do something for you to suspend me."  George said seriously.

"Mr. Weasley, I do understand your position, and I will speak to your mother… You can be sure that the Hogwarts Express will be taking you home this evening, so I'd recommend that you'd pack.   And I'm going to ask that you pack quietly."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"Thank you."  George said.

 "I didn't do it… I didn't do it… I didn't do it… I didn't do it… I didn't do it… I didn't do it… I-" Ron lifted his head cautiously up to look around his cell.  Breakfast time, time for cold oatmeal with spiders swimming through the meal.

Ron couldn't be distracted now.  He only had a few minutes before the dementors would return.  He covered his ears to block out Fudge's accusation.

"I'm innocent."  Ron told himself shaking Fudge's words out of his head.  

Ron stood up weakly, grabbing the bars on the window for support.  Wow, was he ever dizzy!  He stood up on his bed taking off his belt and fastening it tightly to the top of his cell door.  He knotted the other end around his neck, securing it by tying it to the top of his robes.  The only thing left to do was jump off the bed.

"I'm innocent.  I know I am."  Ron said.

With one last breath he jumped, and he swung and hit the cell door hard.  He changed his mind!  He might have a chance after all!  He didn't want to die!  

Ron couldn't breathe, and the belt was cutting into his neck.  He was struggling with the belt at his neck, but it was only getting tighter!  He tried kicking against the bars to pull him up so he could loosen the belt, but it was only making it tighter!  

Finally, Ron stopped kicking, and his arms fell dead to his sides.

"George," Mrs. Weasley snapped when seeing her son enter.  Percy had arranged for a Ministry car to pick him up at King's Cross Station and drop him off at the burrow.  "I can't believe you!  Do you know how many lessons you'll be missing?"

"If worse comes to worse, I'll repeat my seventh year, next year, but I can't believe everybody would hide this from me.  Fred and I were entitled to know!  We're family too!  What were you all thinking?  Were you planning on springing it on us next summer?  When we came home and didn't notice dad around, you'd think we wouldn't ask?  And when we did, what would you say?  Oh yea, he died at the start of last term?  Does everybody think we're that stupid?  Or is it because you don't think we know how to feel any emotion besides happiness?"  George asked.

"It's because we didn't want you to be upset, because you're one of the two happiest people alive, and to upset you or Fred is a crime."  Charlie said.

"We should've been crying this whole month, but instead we were smiling and laughing and-"

"And not feeling the pain that we all had to feel and know.  We wanted to spare you from that as long as possible."  Mrs. Weasley said leaving the room.

"I noticed that Fred's not with you… are you going to be owling him with news, or did you think it was a crime to kill his happiness too?"  Bill asked.

"I would've told him, but I'm too angry, and I'm not even sure of all the details.  All I really know is that dad's been murdered and everybody thinks Ron's responsible."  George said.

"The only thing more that we know is that Fudge is being a real git."  Charlie said.

"Ginny mentioned that too… I just thought that was already out there.  Hell, I think even Fred knows what an idiot Fudge is without knowing about recent events."  George said.

"So do you think Ron killed dad?"  Charlie asked.

"From what Ginny tells me, and from knowing Ron all his life, I know he couldn't have.  I just hope he's all right.  We already lost dad… Percy's being an ass… Mum's wrong… and he's in Azkaban.  Our family is falling apart.  Family's the one thing I could ever really depend on, it's the only thing I ever had, and now I'm losing it.  Life's just not fair anymore."  George cried.  He turned around and looked up to keep his tears from falling.     

Bill walked over to George and hugged him reassuringly.

A week had passed.  Ron was in a highly secured psyche ward in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.  Ron had somehow survived, even though the dementors didn't find him for a couple of minutes, and took even more to get him down.  The very long ferry ride didn't help Ron's recovery any either.  Though somehow he had woken in the hospital, magically strapped down to a bed.  For the first three days, he had been unconscious, but on the seventh day, the twenty-fifth of September, Ron had regained all the strength and sanity he would be able to.

Dementors came to haunt him often, as Fudge made them guard the room in what he called the 'Criminal Wing,' though Ron was the only person who had come from Azkaban to the hospital, and he certainly wasn't a criminal, though Fudge didn't believe that.

However, the staff at St. Mungo's felt it did no good for Ron's health for them to be there, so Hit Wizards and Witches were hired to monitor him during the day.  Fudge had to make sure Ron was alive for the trial, and sending Ron back to Azkaban wasn't going to guarantee that.

Ron's neck was scarred with bruises and scratches from the belt strangling him.  Ron's knees were also bruised, but the cartilage that had been damaged, from being slammed against iron bars, had been magically healed.

Hit Witch Diane Watson was monitoring Ron on the morning of the twenty-fifth, while the mediwizards and witches were giving Ron potions and such.  Though it was hard for Ron to drink anything when his whole body was confined to the bed.

When the Mediwizards and witches had left to let Ron rest, Ron had dared to talk.

"Ms. Watson?"  Ron asked hoarsely.

Diane merely nodded.

"Will you do me a favor, please?"  Ron asked.

Diane said nothing, but raised her eyebrow.

"Will you write to my sister for me?  Will you let her know I'm all right and out of Azkaban temporarily?  She was terribly worried about me, and I just want her to be able to sleep at night without worrying about me.  So could you possibly send an owl for me?"  Ron asked.

"I can send an owl, but you have to write it."  Diane said.

Ron sighed with defeat.

"That won't work.  I'm stuck to this bed."  Ron said.

"I can make the bed into a seat, and you're hands would be free, but only your hands."  Diane said.

"Am I only allowed to send one owl?"  Ron asked.

"How many did you want to send?"  Diane asked.

"Two.  One to my mother and one to my sister."  Ron said.

"That's reasonable."  Diane said and she got Ron a quill, ink, and two scrolls of parchment.

Every Gryffindor seemed to watch Ginny with concern, especially Fred, Angelina, Harry, and Hermione.  Though Ginny did nothing drastic, her depression concerned everybody, and the staff was worried about her too.

Ginny sighed as she looked at her breakfast.  Another long day awaited her.  She could see Ron in Azkaban not staring at his breakfast but out his window looking for a ferry.  It was a new day; perhaps today Ron would be able to leave Azkaban for his trial.

Ginny was interrupted from her thoughts as a Ministry owl soared down to her and stretched his foot out for Ginny to remove the letter from it's leg.  Ginny looked at the envelope as she untied it from the owl.  She gave the owl her toast and bacon in gratitude for delivering the letter, though she wasn't sure she'd want to read it.  It had been sent by the Ministry, perhaps it brought news of Ron's trial or perhaps Ron's escape.  Perhaps the contents inside the envelope brought terrible news.  Ginny dreaded opening it, but after a few minutes, she couldn't help but open it.  She had to know, not knowing was worse than knowing, though recently that hadn't been the case, and she was sure it might be the same now, but she had to know.  Ginny read the letter.

_Ginny,_

_            It's me Ron.  _Ginny's heart caught in her chest, Ron was free!  How else could he have written her?  _I'm writing to let you know that I am not in Azkaban Fortress any longer, though I still am detained.  I wanted you to know that you don't have to worry about me if you had been worrying.  I lost my mind in Azkaban and did something very stupid.  However, my actions set me free of Azkaban.  I don't have to go back there, unless I am found guilty.  I know I will be.  Fudge hates me.  He's believed me to be guilty since day one, but I haven't given up all hope yet.  I can't tell you where I am, because I don't want you trying to find me again, and I don't want to upset you worse.  I'm being fed well here (no spiders), and I'm receiving potions to regain some of my sanity and strength.  I've forgotten a lot of happy memories, but I know you'll help me to remember them when I get out._

_            Just in case not everything goes the way it should, I wanted to thank you for everything.  I want you to know that I wouldn't have lasted as long without your visit.  You gave me hope Ginny, and as much as I hated how you risked the consequences, your happiness, and health, you saved me from making a terrible mistake.  I think you might've said you thought me innocent out of guilt for seeing me looking so terrible, but I want to believe, and I'm going to believe that you really believe me to be innocent, because I know I am, and if you do believe me to be innocent, that's one more person who doesn't see me as guilty and hate me.  That's all I can write.  I love you, and I can't thank you enough for being the best sister in the world, and a best friend to me.  My trial is on the first of October.  I hope to see you there, but if you can't miss a lesson, or if anybody won't let you go, don't worry about it.  I'll understand.  Don't feel guilty._

_               Love,_

_Ron_

_P.S. I can't receive owls, I'm only allowed to send them.  Thanks for everything.  You're the best little sister anybody could ever ask for._

Tears of happiness ran down Ginny's face, but she didn't notice.  She only could see her brother's untidy scrawl, which was untidier than usual.  He had been able to write, and he had written her.  He was all right for now.  She smiled the first smile that she had smiled in ages.

"Ginny, who is that letter from?"  Fred asked.

"Ron."  Ginny said smiling, wiping her tears away.

"Where is he?"  Harry asked.

"I don't know.  He wouldn't say in the letter.  He's been moved, but that's good.  He's going to be okay now."  Ginny said happily.

"Can I see that letter?"  Hermione asked.

"I don't know that I'm allowed to let you read it."  Ginny said.

"Well, did he have anything to say about us?"  Harry asked.

"Er… no, it was very short.  He just wanted to let me know he was all right."  Ginny said.

"He wasn't all right before?"  Fred asked with concern.

"No."  Ginny said sadly.  She got up and left the Great Hall.

At the burrow Mrs. Weasley, Percy, Bill, Charlie, and George were all having tea around the kitchen table.  George and Charlie weren't talking to Mrs. Weasley or Percy, and while Bill sided with Charlie and George, he still carried on conversation with Percy and his mother, though he wasn't pleased with either of them.

An owl flew into the burrow carrying to letters addressed to Mrs. Weasley.  It left right after Mrs. Weasley detached the letters from its foot.  She read the first letter.

_Dear Mrs. Weasley,_

_            My name is Diane Watson, and I am a Hit Witch from the Magical Law Enforcement Squad at the Ministry of Magic.  On the eighteenth day of September we had to move your son, Ronald Weasley to a tightly secured psyche wing at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries after a suicide attempt.  I wanted to let you know that he is allowed a visitor, if you should ever want to come.  Ronald will remain here until his trial, which is on the first of October.  Enclosed is a letter from your son._

_                                                                                    Sincerely,_

_                                                                                                Diane Watson_

Mrs. Weasley put the letter down, forgetting about her four sons for the moment to read the other letter.  Bill took advantage of this and slickly snatched the letter from his mother.  Percy and Charlie read over his shoulders.  George, not wanting to be conspicuous, remained where he was, he trusted his brothers to tell him later.

_Dear mum,_

_            Please don't hate me.  I swear I didn't kill dad.  I know you hate me for being the cause of your and dad's separation, and I'm sorry, but I didn't separate you and dad either.  You could've come back to him so many times, yet you didn't.  I prayed that you would come back every night.  You don't know how unhappy dad was without you.  I even offered to go back to Grandfather's if he'd just make up with you, but he knew that Grandfather hated me just as much as he hated him.  You know he hated dad, mum.  He hated dad, because you were his only daughter and he loved you more than life itself, and then you met dad and he felt that dad took you away from him.  I'm the spitting image of dad.  Dad was so exhausted and busy from work, he didn't have time to remember that or worry about me.  It was always your job to worry about me, but you believed your father wouldn't hurt Ginny or me.  _

_I didn't hurt Ginny.  I would never, ever hurt Ginny.  I've always felt it my job to protect her, from the twins and from you.  You'd never hurt her, I know that, but she was terrified to disappoint you.  I remember the times when Fred and George thought it would be funny for one reason or another to trick Ginny into doing something you'd disapprove of, or something actually dangerous.  I remember the time that they told her that if she wanted to fly, the only way to do it was to jump off of the roof.  I had come outside and found Fred and George laughing.  Ginny had been on the roof.  I ran upstairs and caught Ginny before she could jump.  The twins had told you that I was encouraging her to do it, but I was persuading her to climb back through the window.  You caught us on the roof and I took the blame for both Ginny and the twins.  Then there was the time that she wouldn't get off of the roof, without me proving to her that nobody could fly by falling off their roofs.  I had made her go back inside, and I jumped.  Remember?  That was the time I broke my leg._

_It's hard for me to remember anything good anymore, but I remember those memories because you had always yelled at me, and I hated disappointing you.  I always wanted to be noticed, but unless I was in trouble I never really got your attention._

_Mum, do you remember the day you sent me to Grandfather's house?  Do you remember how afraid I was, how reluctant I was about going?  I remembered the last time I had been to Grandfather's house was when I was five, and he warned me to stay out of his sight.  He told me that I was disgusting.  I remembered so many hateful memories, a lot of them I felt guilty for.  I felt guilty for breaking you and dad up.  I felt guilty for being hateful toward Hermione, and I felt guilty for not believing Harry.  I felt guilty for defending myself against muggles by only punching them twice, and not hard at that.  If I had been guilty of hitting Ginny, it would've killed me, but ask Ginny.  I swear I never harmed a hair on her head._

_My first night at Grandfather's, he made me wait up for him to come home very late at night.  He was drunk, and he threw me down the stairs.  I told Ginny I had fallen down the stairs, because I was clumsy.  I thought or rather hoped that it was an accident, but he encouraged me to go to a wizarding village, but on my way there, I got beat up by muggles, and when I came home, I was locked out.  He whipped me that night, and I knew this wasn't just another accident.  Mum it's what happened every night!  I couldn't tell anybody.  Ginny loved Grandfather, he gave her everything she ever wanted and deserved._

_One night he was yelling a bit loudly and she had woken up to go to the bathroom, and she'd come down the stairs and tried to stop Grandfather.  He turned around and hit her.  I know it was by accident, but it was done, and there was nothing he could do to take it back.  He wanted Ginny to forgive him, but Ginny was scared of him.  When you and dad came over, we were made to lie or else he'd hurt us.  I didn't care about my back, but I did care about Ginny.  I wanted to tell the truth to get Ginny out of there, but the warning was still placed heavily on the burrow, and you were still to overprotective of her to let her go to some friend's house.  I arranged for her to go to a muggle born friend's house, and I ran away, but somehow I got caught._

_When I ran away the last time, I had no intentions of fighting.  I walked on to the wrong road, and kids looking for trouble were waiting there for me.  They were beating me up, and I had to get away so I ran.  The only trouble was the muggle authorities were around, and they believed I associated with that muggle gang.  When Grandfather found me I thought I'd never be able to walk again._

_Dad believed in me.  He saved me.  There was no way I was going to kill the only person who could save me.  He would've believed me if it had been anybody else.  Did you forget that Fudge doesn't believe that You-know-who is a threat?  Did you forget that it was Dumbledore who placed the warning on the burrow and not Fudge?_

_Mum, dad and I got along great.  He took me to work with him daily to make sure I was safe.  The only time he was ever upset with me was the time you owled him to remind him when to bring me to King's Cross Station.  I said that maybe the reason that you didn't write anything else was because Grandfather had monitored your letters or something logical.  Dad was heartbroken without you mum.  He knew you weren't coming back to him, and it wasn't because of me anymore, but because of your father._

_Mum, I don't know how the killing curse got on my wand.  All I know is that I went to bed early that night to catch the Hogwarts' Express early the next morning, and when I woke up, I had overslept.  I was rushing around the house, trying to find dad to ask him why he hadn't woken me up, and he was dead._

_Despite what Fudge and Percy believe, I was not crying over dad out of guilt.  I was crying because the only person, who cared about me and believed me and could save me, was dead.  I couldn't write for help.  You hated me, or at least I thought you did, since you hadn't written to me all summer._

_Mum, I swear I didn't kill dad!  I wanted you to know that, and I hope you believe me.  I love you mum, and I always will, no matter whom you believe.  My trial is on the first of October.  Please be there.  You don't have to believe that I'm innocent.  Just please be there, and if not for me, be there for dad.  I am on trial for his murder, so I pray you'll be there for one of us.  I love you._

_                                                                                    Love your son,_

_                                                                                                            Ron_

_P.S. If Fudge finds me guilty, which I fear he will… please tell Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George that I love them and please ask them, especially Percy not to hate me.  Tell Ginny I love her and that there's not a better sister in the world you and dad could've given me.  Thank her for me, for always putting up with me, for always being there for me, and for always making me feel cool.  Thank Harry for me, for always being there for me no matter how stubborn I was.  Thank him for being there for me.  Thank him for everything for me.  And finally, please thank Hermione for me.  Thank her for putting up with me when I was so unreasonable.  Tell her that I never meant to hurt her, ever.  Tell her that I wish her great luck with her future, and that she won't need it, as she's so bright.  Tell her that she's the smartest person I know.  Tell her that I'm sorry for every time I hurt her.  Tell her that I was just jealous of Krum.  Tell her that my stubbornness and pride got the best of me, and that I had feelings for her, but I wasn't good about being direct about them.  Just tell her that I was glad to have her as my friend.  ONLY TELL HER THIS IF I'M FOUND GUILTY!  Mum if I'm found guilty, know I love you, and I'm sorry I wasn't as smart as Percy or Bill or as talented as Charlie or as creative as the twins or as nice as Ginny.  I'm sorry for everything, but I love you and I am innocent._


	9. The Trial

Misunderstood

Chapter Nine

The Trial

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the plot to this story.  All characters you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic, and all them people.  

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews!  ChloeLupin or GuenivereWeasley thanks for the Genre suggestion.  You might notice that it's now changed to Angst.  I'm sorry for making everybody cry and distraught, but I'm glad you've enjoyed it.  Also, I'm unsure of how many chapters I intend on making this story, but it's _not finished yet_, and I tend to write a lot.  Sorry again for the delay in posting, there's never a dull moment at my house, and I had company.  I will try and get the next chapter up sooner!  I hope you all continue to enjoy.  Happy New Year!  ~*Carey*~

Harry was tired of everybody keeping things from him for his safety.  He was tired of Hermione, tired of Sirius, and tired of Dumbledore thinking they all knew what was best for him.  Hermione didn't even know, so how could she judge?  Harry felt as put out as George had when he found out his family was keeping secrets from him.  Fred didn't want to know after seeing his brother so upset, and he hadn't bothered to ask, though Harry saw he was concerned for George.  Harry would finally find out for himself what the problem was.  Sirius had left Hogwarts on a mission for Dumbledore, which was perfect for Harry's plan.

Harry took out his Invisibility cloak and wrapped it around himself, as he snuck quietly down the stairs that would take him to the common room.  He looked around and nobody was up.  Of course, nobody would be up at two o'clock in the morning on Thursday night, or at least they wouldn't be in the common room.  Harry crept over to Ginny's door, which wouldn't shut properly after George had broken it, and he crept inside her dorm, knowing the door opening wouldn't be heard over the wind that blew outside to even the lightest of sleepers.  Harry crept over to Ginny's bedside table, careful not to wake her or anybody else.

Harry found what he was looking for.  He found Ron's letter.  All he had to do was turn the parchment over and he read it.

Harry left the girls dormitory horrified at what he had read.  Ron had been in Azkaban?  What on earth could he have done?  Ginny had gone to see him in Azkaban… Harry would've gone now if only Ron was still there, but he wasn't, and the letter didn't say exactly where he was either.  He'd have to ask Professor Dumbledore first thing in the morning.  Right now he'd need to sleep, but there was no way he'd be able to.

The next morning, Harry raced down to the Great Hall at seven o'clock in the morning to find Professor Dumbledore and Professor Flitwick speaking in cheery voices.  Harry ran up to the head table and waited for Professor Dumbledore to acknowledge him.

"Professor," Harry said when Professor Dumbledore had looked at him.  "After your finished eating sir, I need to talk to you."  Harry said.

"Well, why don't you have something to eat and then you may meet me in my office?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"I'm not hungry sir."  Harry said.

"Well then, follow me."  Professor Dumbledore said.

In Professor Dumbledore's office Harry sat down restlessly, waiting for the Professor to talk.

"What is this about?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"I want to know why Ron was in Azkaban."  Harry said straightforwardly.

"How did you find out?"  Professor Dumbledore asked sternly.

"That's not important.  I want to know why Ron was in there."  Harry said.

"The Minister of Magic believes that Mr. Weasley murdered his father."  Professor Dumbledore said gravely.

"Mr. Weasley's dead?"  Harry asked taken back.

"I'm afraid he was murdered some time during the early morning hours of September first."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"And they think Ron did it?"  Harry asked.

"They also believe that Voldemort is no longer a threat."  Professor Dumbledore reminded.

"What would somebody have to do to get out of Azkaban?"  Harry asked.

"Harry, I'm afraid there's nothing that will change the Minister's mind until the trial."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"But Ron wrote Ginny and-"

"You read Ms. Weasley's mail?"  Professor Dumbledore asked disapprovingly.

"That's besides the point.  Ron wrote to Ginny, and he's not in Azkaban now, because he did something really stupid."  Harry said.  "But he didn't say what."

"Did he say where he's being held then?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"No, he said he couldn't say."  Harry said.

"Your guess is as good as mine."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"I want to go to Ron's trial."  Harry said.

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to go."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"Please-" Harry pleaded.

"The answer is no, Harry."  Professor Dumbledore said shortly.

"Well can you remember it and put the memories in the Pensieve?  The Weasley's have been like the family I never had, and Ron's always been there for me.  I want to know what's happening to my best friend."  Harry said.

"I promise, you will see everything that I see."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"Thank you."  Harry said.

Harry made his way back to the Gryffindor Common Room feeling weighted-down.  When he got to the common room, he went to head for his dorm, but somebody in the corner of the common room caught his eye.

It was Fred, and he was shaking with quiet sobs at a corner table with his face buried in his arms.  There was a piece of parchment in his hand, and he didn't seem to notice Harry at all.

"Fred?"  Harry called.

Fred didn't look up or acknowledge that he had even heard Harry.

"Fred?"  Harry asked again.

"Azkaban!  He was in Azkaban Harry!"  Fred sobbed without looking up.

"But he's not now."  Harry said.

"He was in Azkaban for murdering my dad!"  Fred cried.

"An owl from George?"  Harry asked sadly.

"My mum got a letter from Ron yesterday.  They had to move him to St. Mungo's, because he tried to kill himself.  They don't understand how he didn't die.  My brother shouldn't have been in there, but he was because of the Minister's stupidity!  It didn't ever occur to them that he's only fifteen and that he couldn't and wouldn't perform that curse if his life depended on it!  They just arrested him because he was the only other person at the burrow, and the spell came from his wand!  Any death eater could've framed him!  If Ron had killed my dad, he would've killed himself right after."  Fred sobbed.

Fred stood up wiping his tears.  "I've got to find Dumbledore to see about a ride home.  The trial is in two days."  Fred said.

By the following morning the castle was completely deserted of Weasleys.  Fred and Ginny had been sent home for the trial.  The castle felt so dull and empty to the Gryffindors.  The Slytherins didn't mind at all though, in fact they loved every minute of Hogwarts without the Weasleys.

"Well, the air certainly is a bit fresher now that they've taken the white trash out of the school… now all they need to do is get rid of the mudbloods…" Malfoy said as he passed by the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, earning himself many glares.

"The air's probably a bit fresher because he took a shower.  Now all he needs to do is learn to use soap."  Angelina muttered to Alicia.

Everybody at the Gryffindor table seemed to hear her as they all laughed, and Malfoy also seemed to hear her as he walked over to her.

Angelina feeling someone's eyes on her back, turned around looking at Malfoy expectantly.  "What?  You don't like to hear anybody's voice except for your own?  That is just too bad.  I'm sorry."  Angelina said sarcastically rolling her eyes as she turned back to Alicia.

"You'd better watch your mouth… and your back for you… and your family might be very sorry real soon."  Malfoy said smirking.

Angelina stood up pulling out her wand as she turned around to look at Malfoy with her angry eyes.  She pointed her wand at his chest.  She was a few inches taller than him, but she didn't tower him.

"Who do you think you are?  How dare you threaten me?"  Angelina said loudly.  Everybody grew quiet to hear her, and she was speaking loud enough for the Professors to hear.  "You think you're the only one who can state your opinions?  You say something terrible, you're going to get something terrible thrown right back in your face, and if you had the balls to be such an ass, then be ready to take a comment or two, and if you can't handle that then ignore it, but don't you dare threaten me!  I know about your father, and I'll warn you right now that if anything should happen to my family, or me it will be you who pays, and your father won't be able to help you.  So I'm warning you now… don't you ever, ever threaten me."  Angelina roared dangerously poking her wand into Malfoy's chest.

Harry and Hermione looked from Malfoy to Angelina.  They were looking at each other with deadly glares.  Angelina seemed to be staring Malfoy down, showing him who was boss, but Malfoy wouldn't look away.

Finally, Malfoy broke eye contact, but he was smirking.  "Stupid girl."  Malfoy muttered under his breath for only a few students to hear.  Angelina heard it loud and clear, and in reply she kneed Malfoy in between his legs, causing him to fall to the ground in tears.  The Gryffindors were amused and cheering.

"Ms. Johnson!"  Professor McGonagall yelled.

"I'm sorry Professor, I'll take a few detentions and you can take points away, I'll make it up later, but he shouldn't be able to threaten anybody!"  Angelina cried.

"Ms. Johnson, did you not just threaten him?"  Professor Snape asked with a dangerous look in his eyes.

"No, I don't make threats, I'm just stating the facts.  He threatened me, if anything should happen to my family or me, I will hurt him.  It doesn't even have to be him who's responsible, but he threatened me, so therefore I have reason to go after him, should anything happen."  Angelina said.

Professor Snape looked dangerously at Angelina, but Angelina was too riled to care.

"Ange, let's go eat in the common room."  Alicia said pulling on the sleeve of Angelina's robes.

Angelina grabbed her plate and walked out of the Great Hall with Alicia.

Harry and Hermione entered the common room that night to find Angelina full of excitement.

"That was awesome."  Katie Bell cried.

"I know, but he didn't get half of what he deserved."  Angelina said.  "I swear, if there's a next time, which there better not be for his sake, oh he'll regret it.  I would've flattened him right there, but I was too worried about my parents.  I mean, his dad's a death eater; he bought his way out of Azkaban.  But I swear, if anything happens to them… Malfoy will be dead!  Though, I don't think his father would care.  He'd probably press charges just to get more money, but other than that, I'd be doing him and the rest of the world a favor."

"Ron would've loved to have seen that."  Hermione said woefully.  "It would be an addition to his wonderful memories of Malfoy the bouncing ferret and the time I slapped him.  I wonder where Ron is anyway."

"St. Mungo's."  Harry said.

"What?"  Hermione asked with surprise.

"St. Mungo's, the Hospital for wizards and witches."  Harry said.

"I know that, but why is he there?"  Hermione asked with wide eyes.

"Because he tried to kill himself in Azkaban."  Harry said.

"Why was he in Azkaban?"  Hermione asked in a whisper.

"They think he killed his dad."  Harry said.

"Why would they think that?"  Hermione asked with tears in her eyes.

"Because they're idiots.  You know Fudge doesn't believe that Voldemort's returned."  Harry said.

"Well did you have a nightmare and wake up with your scar hurting?  Did you see it?"  Hermione asked.

"No."  Harry said.

"When's his trial?"  Hermione asked.

"Tomorrow.  Dumbledore's not letting me go."  Harry said.

"Maybe he'd let me go…" Hermione said thoughtfully, forgetting about Harry.

"He's not going to let you go if he won't let me!"  Harry said angrily.  "I'm his best friend!"

"As am I!"  Hermione snapped.  "Dumbledore may not be letting you go for safety reasons, or maybe Snuffles doesn't want you to go, as you're not supposed to know in the first place.  Maybe he'd let me go, because I can catch up on all my assignments, and I'm not you."

"He can't let you go!  That wouldn't be fair!"  Harry snapped.

"Well I'm going to try anyway.  At least one of us could go, and you wouldn't be in any danger, and I could be your eyes and ears.  You know I remember everything.  It's worth a try.  I'm going."  Hermione said.

Before Harry could stop her, Hermione had already left.

"Why are you doing this?"  Ron cried struggling to be free of the magical binds that held him to the bed.  He was sweating from fighting against some strong magic that wouldn't release him until a witch or wizard lifted the charm.

"It's only for a night… I want to stay here, but I can't be a part of this scam that Fud- I mean I just can't be here... When- If it turns out your guilty, I'd feel guilty for having anything to do with your imprisonment, because I really believe you're innocent, and if you are truly guilty, I don't want to feel guilty knowing that I've been comforting you!"  Hit Witch Diane said.

"You haven't spent one night being haunted by the dementors, and you haven't had so many terrible things happen to you!  One night feels like an eternity!  And you know I'm innocent!  You know Fudge is going to find me guilty, and you don't have to believe me when I say I'm innocent, but if you think I'm truly guilty and you know I'm going to spend what's left of my life in Azkaban, then you know I'll be tortured that whole time, one night won't matter in the long run, but it will kill me now.  Those dementors kill me!  They make me mad!  I won't remember if I'm innocent or guilty tomorrow if they haunt me all night!"  Ron cried.

"Ron, the Minister is- I can't encourage his plans to find you guilty!"  Diane cried.

"But you will if you let the dementors get to me!"  Ron cried, finally relaxing against the restraints.  His strength was drained out of him.  "What is Fudge planning?"

"Nothing."  Diane said quickly.

"No, if he wasn't planning something, you wouldn't be leaving me to the dementors.  He's going to find me guilty no matter how transparent the truth is.  I want to know what he's playing at.  If I'm going to spend the rest of my life at Azkaban, I should know how I got there, because I sure as bloody Hell didn't kill my father.  I won't remember it tomorrow anyway, since you're leaving… so please just tell me."  Ron said.

"I overheard the Minister talking to the jury.  He's paying all of them a certain amount of money to put their hands up to find you guilty and for three of them to keep their hands down so it looks fair."  Diane said.

Tears streamed down Ron's face.  It was all up to the jury to decide his punishment, and they were being paid to find him guilty.  The trial was just to humor his family, or maybe it was to torture him.  There would be so much hate in that room, he'd be sure to remember it the rest of his life in Azkaban, and they'd make sure he couldn't kill himself this time, but he'd die of starvation anyway.  Ron would just have to memorize that courtroom; it would be the last room he'd ever see with the exception of his cell.  He'd have to remember every person who had once cared about him and he'd remember the better times when he had been happy that the dementors would drain from his memory as soon as he was sent back.

"So rather than leave me to them… couldn't you get one of the other Hit Witches or Wizards?  Mr. Patterson would do it!  He said it doesn't matter if I'm guilty or innocent, it was part of his job to come here."  Ron said.

"Ben thinks your innocent.  He and everybody else made sure they had other things to do.  They don't want to feel guilt over your imprisonment.  We all know what's going on."  Diane said.

"You should all feel guilt!  Every last one of you!  If you didn't want to feel guilt then everyone would've made sure that I didn't have to endure the dementors on my last night that I won't be in Azkaban!  But you're all making sure it's worse!  I'll be dead in a few weeks; I hope that gets to everybody's consciences!  I won't have to kill myself, the dementors will kill me, and it'll be a lot more painful and longer!  I'll starve to death, because they put spiders in my food!"  Ron yelled.

"Good luck tomorrow."  Diane said as tears streamed down her face.  She opened the door and two dementors swept in the room as she walked out.

"Your move."  Bill said distracting Ginny from her thoughts.  

They were playing Wizard's Chess at the Burrow, and Ginny had been staring out the window watching the rain pour down, while thinking about her brother and the outcome of his trial.

"Pawn to C6."  Ginny muttered.

The pawn destroyed the Knight that had been on that square.

"I don't want to play anymore.  You win."  Ginny said getting up.

"You were winning."  Bill said.

"Only because you were letting me."  Ginny said sighing heavily.  "Wizard's Chess was Ron's game."

Mrs. Weasley came into the living room.

"Dinner's ready."  Mrs. Weasley said.

"I'm not hungry."  Ginny said.

"You will be later.  Come to the table at least… we're sitting at the table like old times as a family should."  Mrs. Weasley said.

"It's not a family without dad and Ron."  Ginny said.  "I'm not eating, and I'm not sitting at the stupid table."

"Ginny, your father's passed on.  It may be difficult, but we'll still be a family with the members we have left."  Mrs. Weasley said.

"Not everybody's here!"  Ginny said.

"Ron is at St. Mungo's Ginny!  I can't take him out!"  Mrs. Weasley cried.

"But even if you could, you wouldn't!  He was allowed a visitor mum!  He wanted you to visit him!  You never went!  He wouldn't have cared if you cursed him or screamed yourself hoarse at him!  He wouldn't have cared if you said nothing!  He just wanted to see you!  And you never went!  You say you don't want to betray dad, but you've already done that!  You left dad when he was alive!  You never got to say you were sorry or anything else when he was alive!  You could've at least told Ron you loved him for the times before all this happened, because everybody knows you don't believe him, but if tomorrow they find him guilty it will be too late as well!  He won't recognize you in Azkaban, and he won't remember you!  Maybe it's a good thing you didn't go and see him.  Since you hate him so much, it won't be able to haunt him for the rest of his life!  But then again maybe the fact that you didn't go and see him when he needed you most will haunt him for the rest of his life.  But it won't matter, because if they put him back in there, he'll be dead before the year ends.  He won't need to kill himself.  They put spiders in his food.  He'll starve to death.  The pain won't matter, because he won't be able to feel anything outside of his head!  I hate you mum!  I hate you!"  Ginny yelled.

Mrs. Weasley was furious, but Bill pulled Ginny away from her, before she could do her any harm.

Ginny sobbed and tried to run upstairs, but Bill wouldn't let her.  Bill held her tightly and she cried all of her unshed tears on Bill's shoulder.

The morning of the trial arrived.  Everybody was assembled.  Professor Dumbledore and Mad-eye Moody along with a few other aurors and Ministry wizards were seated on the highest bench.

Mrs. Weasley, Grandfather O'Riley, Percy, Bill, Ginny, Charlie, Fred, and George were seated in the front row.  There were at least two hundred witches and wizards in the courtroom in the dungeon of Azkaban where the Ministry trials were held.  Witches and Wizards that had never met the Weasleys before were there, as they had seen the Daily Prophet publicize the trial.  Even people who hated the Weasley's were there, such as Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy.  Also there were Ministry members Hit wizards and witches, friends of Mr. Weasley's, friends of Percy's; friends of Charlie's from Romania had come, and friends of Bill's from Egypt had also come.  The only Hogwarts students there were the three Weasleys, as Dumbledore had not let Hermione come.  However, there were a few Professors at the trial.  One was Professor Snape, who sat towards the back.  Professor McGonagall and Hagrid had also come to watch the trial.  Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, had been left in charge of the school as both the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress was away.  Also there in one of the middle rows was Remus Lupin, a former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

The Minister of Magic himself would be asking the questions.  He was to the left of Dumbledore.  There were twelve jury members to the right of the dungeon.

Everybody was looking expectantly at the door to the far left corner of the dungeon.

The door opened and four dementors came gliding in with Ron in their grip.  Ron looked like terrified as he was still in his own mind and the dementors guided to him a chair and fastened the chains around his arms and feet.

The wizards and witches in the courtroom all recoiled as they entered, and there was much chattering after they left.

The sight of Ron was terrible.  It was as if he had never left Azkaban.  Ron's eyes were red rimmed and bloodshot, and he was extremely pale.  His eyes had a haunting look about them, but it faded into anger and determination as he looked around the last room he'd see.  Of course the last room he'd see was below the cell he'd die in.  Ron had to look at everything, avoiding eye contact with anybody.  Hate from the people was inevitable.  He didn't want to have to remember this the rest of his short life.  He swore that the only reason Fudge was doing this, besides the fact that he was trying to show everyone how "fair" he was, and besides the fact that he wanted to show everyone that there wasn't a dark lord, Ron swore Fudge was holding this trial just to torture him.

"Ronald Weasley, you have been brought here before the council of magical law, so that we may pass judgment on you for a crime so treacherous that we have never heard the like of it within this court.  We will now hear the evidence against you as well as your testimony.  You stand accused of murdering your father, Arthur Weasley with the killing curse as of the first day of September.  If convicted by the council of this court, you will be sentenced to Azkaban for a life imprisonment."  Fudge stated for the court.  "Do you understand?"

Ron nodded, trying not to roll his eyes.  "Yes sir."  Ron said hoarsely.

The sound of Ron's voice made Mrs. Weasley cringe to think about how terrible he had been feeling.

Ron could feel Professor Dumbledore's eyes bearing upon him.  He glanced ever so quickly toward him and saw Mad-eye Moody next to him.  Mad-eye had been staring upon Ron with both his regular and magical eye, which Ron figured must've been seeing through him.  It didn't matter though.  Mad-eye had been friends with Mr. Weasley, and he probably looked down at Ron with hate.  Ron couldn't look at anybody, for he assumed everybody believed the Minister.

"We know that the killing curse was the last on your wand, yet you claim you didn't perform that, how do you intend to explain that?"  Fudge asked.

"I can't give you an honest explanation, as I don't know, but I can only guess that somebody else used it."  Ron said.

"You're placing the blame on somebody else, anybody else, yet wasn't it only you and your father at home that morning?"  Fudge asked.

"Yes sir."  Ron answered.

"So are you saying then that your father killed himself?"  Fudge asked.

"No sir."  Ron answered.

"Then who, if not you or your father, performed the killing curse?"  Fudge asked.

"If I knew, I wouldn't be the one on trial right now, would I?"  Ron asked bitterly.

"What happened on the morning of September first?"  Fudge asked.

"I woke up, I came downstairs, and I found my dad dead on the kitchen floor."  Ron said.

"Where was your wand when you went to bed on the evening of the thirty-first of August?"  Fudge asked.

Ron thought a moment.

"On my dresser."  Ron said.

"Where was your wand when you awoke the next morning?"  Fudge asked.

Ron thought a moment.

"On my dresser."  Ron answered.

"So if you went to bed and your wand was on your dresser and you awoke with your wand on your dresser, than we can assume it was never used during the night."  Fudge said.

"You can assume whatever you want, it doesn't mean it's the truth."  Ron said.

"Then what is the truth?"  Fudge asked.

"I didn't do it."  Ron said.

"The evidence is against you!  The Killing Curse came from your wand, which you said was never moved while you slept; yet you said your father was murdered while you were sleeping.  Your story isn't plausible!"  Fudge said.

"But it's the truth!"  Ron cried.

"What about when the Ministry members arrived the next morning?  They saw you crying out of guilt!"  Fudge said.

"I wasn't crying out of guilt, because I didn't do it!  I was crying because my dad was dead!  I was in shock!  You only assumed I was crying out of guilt, because you don't want to believe that somebody else could've killed him!"  Ron said.

"Well if somebody besides yourself killed him, why weren't you afraid of that somebody coming back to kill you?"  Fudge asked.

"I was too upset about my dad to care!"  Ron said.

"Why were you the only one home with your father at the time of the attack?"  Fudge asked.

"Because at the beginning of the summer there was a warning issued that there might've been some death eaters around our area, and my sister and brothers and I were all sent to friends or relatives houses."  Ron said.

"I never issued a warning!"  Fudge said.

"I did."  Professor Dumbledore spoke loud and clearly.

Fudge glared at him and turned back to Ron.  "Then why were you the only one to return home?"  Fudge asked.

"Because there were a few problems."  Ron said.

"Oh yes, that's right… you were arrested by the muggle authorities, weren't you?"  Fudge asked trying to suppress a triumphant smile.

"Yes."  Ron said.

Gasps and whispers spread throughout the crowd.

"For fighting, right?"  Fudge asked.

"Yes."  Ron said.

"Where was your mother the night of the attack?"  Fudge asked.

"At my Grandfather's."  Ron answered.

"Let's review the facts again."  Fudge said.  "The killing curse was performed from your wand-"

"Everybody knows it was done from my wand, you emphasized it enough!  But that doesn't mean I did it!"  Ron yelled impatiently.

"And if I did do it your people at the Ministry aren't doing their jobs!  If magic had been done by an underage wizard, they would've owled my dad, but in writing the report they would've realized what was done and would've alerted the Hit Wizards, but they only came after Perkins got them!"

"Get him out of here!"  Fudge called.  The door opened and dementors started gliding in.

"I know your plan too!  You've paid the jury members to find me guilty and you're having three of them keep their hands down so it's not so obvious!"  Ron cried.

The dementors got a hold of him.

"What in the hell is the matter with you?  One day you're going to have to take your head out of the sand and look around you!  I'm framed for this one, but when more deaths start happening, you'll be sorry!"  Ron yelled angrily.  "I DIDN'T DO IT!"

The doors shut behind the dementors that were guiding Ron out.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, you may have an hour's recess to decide the verdict."  Fudge said and he left the courtroom.

"Weasley wasn't lying about the jury."  Moody said to Dumbledore.

"I know that.  I don't think Mr. Weasley was lying about anything."  Dumbledore said.  "Excuse me."  

Professor Dumbledore walked down to Remus Lupin.  "Remus, how are you doing?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"All right.  I'm being Snuffles' eyes, ears, and judgment."  Remus said.  "I don't think he lied once."

"He blew it."  Professor Snape said as he joined them.

"The Minister wasn't giving him a chance to begin with.  If he were going to, he wouldn't have sent him to Azkaban for a month.  He's strained.  Ron knew he didn't have a chance.  He was just looking around the last room he'd be in before he went back to that cell."  Remus said.

"Professor Dumbledore!"  Hagrid called from behind.

Professor Dumbledore looked back at him.

"Yeh don't think he did it, do yeh?" Hagrid asked.

"No Hagrid, I don't believe he did it at all."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"Albus, I don't think he did it, but I think he really ruined his chances of being found innocent.  Isn't there anything you can do?"  Professor McGonagall asked.

"We'll get him an appeal, and a fair one."  Professor Dumbledore said.  "Have you talked to Molly or the children?"

"I'm going to now."  Professor McGonagall said.

"Wait… bring them this."  Professor Lupin said pulling out a few chocolate bars from his bag.

"You are always thinking, aren't you?"  Professor McGonagall asked smiling at her former student.

"Whenever I can."  Professor Lupin said.

"You're a good man Remus."  Professor McGonagall said.

Professor McGonagall went up to the front row, where Mrs. Weasley was in tears crying to her father.  Percy was filled with mixed emotions.  He felt fury and hate towards his brother.  Bill had his head in his hands, he kept thinking 'if only Ron hadn't lost his temper…' but then again, he would've lost his patience if he were Ron, too.  Charlie was infuriated with Fudge.  Ron could've lied so many times to save his behind, but he told the truth, and it wasn't worth anything.  Fudge had been against him from the start, there was no question.

Ginny was in tears for her brother, yet she was very angry with the Minister.  He was pushing Ron's buttons, and he was already on the edge before he came into the courtroom.  The twins had finally taken their deadly glares off the Minister and were aiming them at the Malfoy's. 

"They have no right being here."  Fred said.

"I reckon everything that he's behind this."  George said.

"I'm not arguing with that.  If it wasn't him, it was another death eater, but who hated dad more than him?"  Fred asked.

George looked at his Grandfather.  "I still think it was him."  George said.

"Maybe they planned it together.  Grandfather might've paid him, but he had done it for free."  Fred said.

"Maybe…" George said.

"Molly, boys, Ms. Weasley…" Professor McGonagall said getting their attention.  She handed a chocolate bar to each kid including Bill, Charlie, and Percy.  "Those were courtesy of your former Professor."  Professor McGonagall said looking behind them.

They followed their gaze, and the twins, Ginny, and even Percy looked surprised at Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and Hagrid standing around Remus.

"How are you all holding up?"  Professor McGonagall asked with concern.

"Does Professor Dumbledore think he's innocent?"  Charlie asked hopefully.

"Without a doubt."  Professor McGonagall said.

"So he won't have to go back to Azkaban?"  Ginny asked hopefully.

"Just because Professor Dumbledore can't see the truth doesn't mean that the jury won't."  Percy said.

"Percy!  Shut up!  The more you say stupid things like that, the more I want to hurt you!  If you say one more stupid thing, I'll throw you through that hard stone ceiling of this dungeon, and don't tempt me.  You're already on my last nerve."  Charlie warned.

"Professor, if these jury people are fair, will Ron be able to go back to Hogwarts?"  Ginny asked.

"Of course."  Professor McGonagall answered.  "Let's keep hoping for the best."

The jury returned an hour later as did Fudge.  Everybody returned to his or her seats and looked to the door.

"Bring him in!"  Fudge called.

Once again, four hooded dementors came gliding in through the door with Ron, now gagged, in between them.  They secured him tightly to the chair and exited the room.

Ron looked around the room with leaden eyes.  He looked to Dumbledore and Moody who were watching with defeated looks in their eyes.  To Ron's surprise, neither pair of eyes showed hate.  Ron looked next to them and saw Fudge.  He glared hatefully at him.  Ron looked at the jury with hate as well; they were looking at him with disgust.  Ron looked to the crowd and saw a few Professors.  Professor McGonagall seemed to have something in her eyes behind her glasses.  Hagrid was giving Ron an encouraging look, Hagrid believed him.  To his disgust Professor Snape was there and he looked contemplative, it were almost as if he was torn between believing Ron's innocence and feeling sorry for him and feeling immense joy that Ron would no longer be in another Potions lesson.  To his surprise he saw Remus Lupin, his Defense Against the Dark Arts professor from third year sitting on one of the benches.  He looked hopeful for Ron, but Ron knew that he knew that he didn't have a chance.

He glanced around some more and saw Mr. Malfoy smirking triumphantly before looking appalled at Ron like everybody else.  Still Ron saw the meaning behind the gleam in his eyes.  Mr. Malfoy had killed his father!  Nobody hated Mr. Weasley more than him!  Well… maybe his Grandfather had a deeper hate for him, but he had gotten what he wanted.  His daughter was back with him.  It had to be Mr. Malfoy!  He had been set up!  Mr. Malfoy tilted his head pretending to look curious as to why Ron was staring at him with importance in his eyes.  Ron was gagged, so he couldn't say anything!  He stomped angrily on the ground with frustration and tears of anger ran down his face.

Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, and Ginny had been glancing from Ron to where he was looking, and they saw too Mr. Malfoy trying to look innocent.

"Oh my God!"  Bill breathed.

Ron shook his head looking down at his feet, and finally he looked at his family in the front row.  Grandfather was looking at Ron with hate, which didn't surprise him.  Mrs. Weasley was crying, and Ron couldn't tell if it was because she thought he did do it, or if it was because she thought he didn't.  Percy was looking up at Ron with anger.  Tears were in his eyes, but they still looked threatening.  Bill was looking at Ron with a knowing look, Bill knew that he hadn't done it, and he knew that Ron was right that he didn't have a chance.  Charlie was looking up at Ron with an encouraging smile that told Ron he believed him.  Fred and George were forcing smiles for their brother, but both couldn't help trying not to cry, not when they knew that Ron was right, Fudge had paid the jury to find him guilty, and there was no way Ron was leaving Azkaban.  Ginny looked up at Ron with a heartening smile on her face, but the tears streaming down her face didn't exactly make Ron feel all right.  The smile had been all right, but the tears… Ron hated when his sister cried, and she was crying because of him.  Guilt overwhelmed him, and he looked down at his feet again.

Fudge stood up.

"Ronald Weasley, you have been brought here before the council of magical law, so that we may pass judgment on you for a crime so treacherous that we have never heard the like of it within this court.  We have heard the evidence against you.  You stand accused of murdering your father, Arthur Weasley with the killing curse as of the first day of September."  Fudge said.  "I now ask the jury to raise their hands if they believe, as I do, that this crime deserves a life sentence in Azkaban!"

In unison, the witches and wizards along the right-hand side of the dungeon raised their hands.

Less than half of the crowd applauded the jury's decision, while the majority booed and shouted.  The dementors came in and brought Ron out.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!  HE'S ONLY FIFTEEN AND HE'S INNOCENT!  YOU NEVER CONSIDERED THE FACTS ONE BEING THAT HE'S AN UNDERAGE WIZARD AND NOT CAPABLE OF PERFORMING THAT CURSE!  THE MINISTRY IS WORSE THAN THE DARK ARTS NOW!"  Charlie roared.

"HEY THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE MINISTRY, ONLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOUR FAMILY!  FACE IT YOUR BROTHER'S A MURDERER!"  A wizard two rows behind him shouted.

Charlie pushed his way past his family members and walked over to the man who had spoken.

WHAM!  The wizard sailed across the bench injuring other witches and wizards in the process.

"HEY!"  Somebody shouted and they knocked Charlie to the ground.

Hit Wizards and Witches entered the dungeon courtroom breaking up all the quarrels and brawls that had broken out.

Hagrid had gotten to Ginny and the twins, and escorted them safely out of the dungeon and they were on their way back to Hogwarts without Ron.  


	10. The Appeal Cancelled

**Misunderstood**

**Chapter Ten**

**The Appeal – Cancelled**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the plot to this story.  All characters that you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling and Scholastic and all them people.

Author's Note:  Veritaserum – The Truth Potion - I've heard a lot of suggestions to use this, and I promise it will be used in the future, possibly in the next chapter.  I specifically left it out in the trial, because I think Fudge doesn't want to hear the truth.  I don't like him after the end of the fourth book, and I believe that he will ignore the truth even if it's right in front of him.  But the trial was bias to begin with, so Ron didn't have a chance.  I'm sorry for upsetting you all, but I love Ron to death, he's my favorite character, and this is the crap my brain comes up with.  Also, Angelina and Alicia have been mentioned more than I planned in my story.  I just feel that the twins need some girls to rely on, as they're not extremely happy at the moment.  And for some reason I'm inclined to put more of Sirius and Remus in here, because they're my favorite adult characters.  If I get a bit off track, I apologize. Enjoy!  Thanks for the reviews!  You all are the best!  ~*Carey*~

Fred, George, and Ginny made their way back to the Gryffindor Common Room looking as if they were soldiers who had lost a war.  The pain and defeat was written all over their faces, and it told Harry and Hermione exactly what they hadn't wanted to hear.

Fortunately, everybody else had been too busy with assignments to see them enter.  It would scare everyone, to see the boys who could always cheer anyone up, unhappy.  Everybody had been looking forward to when the Weasley's would return, but they were expecting them to return with a big bang.

Angelina was coming downstairs talking to Alicia, but both twins seemed to hear her talking over all the mumbling from the students working on their homework.  George almost laughed, thinking about how much the Common Room sounded like the library, full of students studying and not being really loud or talkative.

"I have to do my detention tonight.  It's with Snape, so I'll probably be in detention all week."  Angelina said in an irritated tone.

"Well maybe if you wouldn't talk back to him, you wouldn't be in detention for the rest of the week."  Alicia said.

"It's not in my nature to hold back my opinions, especially not when he's the one making the remarks."  Angelina said.

"Ange, if he looks at you, you start."  Alicia said.

"No there's a difference.  If he looks at me funny, stares or glares at me, I'll have my say about it.  Anybody who looks at me in a wrong way has to be corrected, or I'll think I have something on my face.  Everyone knows I'm not something to look at."  Angelina said.

"Please, you're gorgeous."  Alicia said rolling her eyes.

"You've never said anything truer."  Fred said.

"I'm sure she has."  George muttered.

"Oh my gosh!  When did you two get back!  I didn't hear any explosions, so I assumed you were still gone!"  Angelina cried.

"What did you do to get a detention?  Did you lose all the points from Gryffindor that Snape hasn't any left to take away, leaving you in such a horrible position?"  George asked raising an eyebrow only half jokingly.  It was common knowledge among the seventh years that Angelina could run her mouth during a Potions lesson, but she'd always get the points back in a Quidditch match or in another lesson.

"No, I taught Malfoy a lesson or two after he threatened me."  Angelina said.

"He threatened you?"  Fred asked with concern looking to George and back to Angelina.

"Yea, but that's all Malfoy's made out of… threats.  He never carries them out.  He just tries to scare everyone, but I'm not afraid of him."  Angelina said.  "If anything he's afraid of me now."

"Or maybe just your knees."  Alicia said.

"His father's a death eater… you might want to warn your parents.  He may be bluffing, but if word gets to his dad…"

"Fred, he knows that if my family or me is injured in the slightest, his ass will pay."  Angelina said.

"Snape's going to kill you if you don't fly downstairs.  You're going to be late."  Alicia said interrupting her.

"Well I'm not going to hurry for him.  He's going to make me have a detention tomorrow too as I'm already late.  I might as well not go at all."  Angelina said.

"McGonagall assigned your detention, she could pull you off the team if she gets enough complaints from Snape."  Alicia said.

"Fine, I'll go now.  Fred, you look exhausted, but wait up until I get back.  I want to talk to you."  Angelina said.

"All right."  Fred said with a nod.

"By the way, is there something wrong?  I've never seen you two depressed since… well, since the chamber of secrets was open and Ginny was taken."  Angelina said.

"No, everything's fine.  We're just exhausted like you said."  Fred lied.

"I'll get it out of you later."  Angelina said before leaving.

At the burrow, arguments still were still being fought.  Grandfather, Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, and Percy were all screaming at one another.

"Mum, please be reasonable, you can't leave the burrow!  It's where you and dad raised all of us!  We love coming back here!  You cannot just throw away our childhoods!"  Bill cried angrily.  

"And what about the others?  They're already confused about everything else in their life!  The only thing they're sure about is their home, and that is here!  You can't keep messing up everybody's lives!"  Charlie shouted.

"You think I mess up everybody's lives?  You think I'm responsible for ruining your father's life?  Do you think I'm responsible for his death?"  Mrs. Weasley shouted.

"Yes I do!"  Charlie yelled taking everybody back, especially Mrs. Weasley who swelled up with tears.  "You messed dad's life up when you left him!  He loved you mum!  You kept dad as sane as possible!  If you wouldn't have left him, nobody else's lives would've fallen apart!  If you wouldn't have left him, dad might not be dead!  You could've helped him fight whoever it was who killed him!  But you weren't here, because you left him!"

"I DIDN'T LEAVE HIM!  HE LEFT ME!"  Mrs. Weasley cried angrily.

"He was the one who came home!  You didn't.  You knew perfectly well where he was, and you never made an effort to try and work things out!"  Charlie roared.

"He never made an effort either!"  Mrs. Weasley snapped.

"When would he have had the time?  He was working mad hours, and he had to take care of Ron on top of all of that.  You weren't working!"  Charlie raged.

"Charles!"  Grandfather warned harshly earning a glare from his grandson.

"Bill… you'll learn that the boys and Ginny will love Grandfather's home, much more than here."  Mrs. Weasley said calmly trying to make her eldest son see reason.

"We've already seen what happens when Ron goes to Grandfather's."  Bill said.

"But that won't happen anymore, because Ron's in Azkaban."  Mrs. Weasley said.

"He's got an appeal!  You cannot give up on him!"  Charlie roared.

"Charlie, would you please grow up?  It would be wonderful to 'pretend' that Ron was innocent, but sooner or later you'll have to face reality and see the horrible truth.  Face it, Ron killed dad, but he's getting what he deserves."  Percy said.

WHAM!  Percy's head met the wall painfully.

Charlie pulled Percy violently on to his feet and looked at him dangerously in the eyes.  He seemed to be staring him down as he would a dragon.

"You need to be brought back to reality!  If I didn't knock any sense into you then, I'll sure as hell try again!  You need to wake up Percy!  For once, you are being an idiot!  You're as blind as Fudge.  Dad is dead!  RON DIDN'T KILL HIM!  It's not possible!  Harry saw You-know-who reborn!  Now Fudge can disregard that, because he's heading for a fall soon, but I don't want you to fall down with him.  It's one hell of a fall for such a bright young wizard... If you continue to be ignorant like Fudge, your name will end up big in the papers under a list of failures.  Because when Ron is proven innocent, which he will be, your name will be among those who believed an innocent kid to be guilty.  And just to remind you that kid who's being tortured and slowly killed in Azkaban right now, is your brother.  The Ministry's headed for a collapse, with everybody betraying Fudge in it.  I'm warning you to come to your senses before it's too late.  There's a dark side to this world Percy you know it deep down!  Do you think Harry's lying about You-know-who?  Do you think that You-know-who or his death eaters didn't murder Cedric Diggory and Mr. Crouch?  And if so, who do you think they were murdered by?  There's obviously some kind of dark side out there… And rather than be a hero and help, you look away and let it happen.  Do you realize that you're more of the problem than the solution?  Don't tell me you think Ron's guilty again!  Don't you dare- unless you visit him, look into his eyes and if you see that Ron's guilty, then you come up to me and hex me, but until you make that trip to see your little brother, than don't talk about things you don't know!  Because you're wrong Percy."  Charlie said.

Percy pushed his brother away from him and pulled out his wand threateningly.  "If you ever say another word against the Minister I'll…"

"You'll what, kill me?"  Charlie asked.

"Don't tempt me!"  Percy warned.

"That's betrayal if I've ever seen it… You threatened to kill me, your own blood, for saying something against your boss."  Charlie said.

"Boys!"  Grandfather snapped.

Bill looked from his brothers to his mother.  "What will happen when Ron's released?  Where will he go, if he can't come to the burrow?  Like I've stated before, we've all seen what happens when Ron and Grandfather are around each other."  Bill said.

"Well, I…" Mrs. Weasley began, not having thought of that possibility.

"She never said she'd authorize his release."  Grandfather said.

"What do you mean?"  Charlie asked.

"The Minister may find Ronald innocent, but that doesn't mean your mother will!  If he's found innocent, somebody else can release him, but he won't be going home with your mother."  Grandfather said.

"What?"  Bill and Charlie asked outraged.  They were looking to their mother for explanations and they were hoping she'd stand up and say the opposite of what her father had just said.

"Of course I'll have him released."  Mrs. Weasley said.

"Molly, I don't believe the boy to be innocent, and I really don't want him in my house after all those accusations he claimed.  Release him if you want, but don't expect him to come to my house."  Grandfather said.

"Well, no I don't expect for him to live with us, but I will have him released if there's any reason to believe he's innocent, but I'll find somewhere to send him."  Mrs. Weasley said.

"You can't be serious!  Mum, Ron's your son!  You still have your own family and your own home to take care of.  Grandfather is manipulating you, but you don't owe him anything!"  Charlie said.

Bill had been thinking the same thing, though he was smarter than to voice this in his Grandfather's presence.

"That's enough!  Apologize to your Grandfather immediately!  I'm in complete control of my life."  Mrs. Weasley snapped.

"No, I'll tell you what I'm going to do.  I'm going to apologize to you mum, because I was wrong for saying that you've destroyed our family.  I now know that it's Grandfather who was responsible.  One day you'll see that too.  I'm leaving now, and I'll be at the appeal for my brother, but once Ron is free and in good care, you won't see me again.  I love you, but our family's falling apart and you're not bothering to fix it, if anything you're making it worse.  I don't want to remember you like this.  I'm leaving so I can remember you as the wonderful mother who always encouraged us to be ourselves and do are best, and who cooked the best meals, and who made those sweaters for us every Christmas.  I'm going to remember you as the mum who always supported dad and always believed in all of us.  I'm not going to remember you now, not when you're so uncaring and… I just     can't remember you when you can't fix things, because you've always been the solution to any and every problem, and now you're the one with the problems."  Charlie said as tears streamed down his face.  Charlie grabbed his cloak and disapparated.

"I'll be at the appeal… I have to go back and catch up with my work."  Bill said.  Bill also disapparated.

A week later…

The cell gates opened, but Ron didn't notice.  He only felt pain from his sickness.  He didn't know that anybody had entered, and even after this visit, he couldn't be sure whether he had imagined this or not.

"Do you want all this to stop?"  A voice that appeared to be coming from far away asked.

Ron looked around him, but all he saw was his father lying dead on the kitchen floor covered in spiders.

"My, my… some people are weaker than others would expect."  A voice said that sounded nearer.

Ron searched for the voice but could not find the owner.

Ron opened his eyes again to extreme pain.  Somebody had just thrown his goblet of water on his face to awake him from the insanity.  The dementors were away for the moment, and Ron shivered and coughed with pain.  He looked around and saw a blurry figure standing in front of him.  He rubbed his eyes for a good two minutes, until he was able to recognize the blur.  It was Lucious Malfoy.

"Do you want all the pain to go away, boy?"  Lucious asked.

Ron inwardly thought yes, but wouldn't say it allowed.  He couldn't talk for one thing, he had lost his voice, and what did it matter if he told a death eater what he wanted, he'd do just the opposite.

"Stubborn, I see.  Well, if in a few months, you're still alive, maybe you'll change your mind."  Lucious said.

"What do you want?"  Ron mouthed, but it wasn't heard.  

Lucious saw this though and grinned, though Ron didn't know this.

"Information on your friend Potter.  I could free you, let you escape, or perhaps give you a rope to hang yourself with."  Mr. Malfoy said with a grin.

"Leave me be!"  Ron said covering his ears as he tried to think of a happy memory to block Malfoy out.  The dementors had drained him of pretty much all of them now, by either making them turn out scary, or just erasing them from his memory completely.

Ron winced as a painful grip took hold of his wrists.  He opened his eyes and looked up at Mr. Malfoy who was looking dangerously at him.

"Like I said, you'll be wanting to change your mind sooner or later.  Such a pity you have to be difficult."  Mr. Malfoy said grinning.  Then his grin spread wide and before Ron knew what he was playing at Mr. Malfoy started shouting.  "HELP!  SOMEBODY HELP!  HE'S TRYING TO KILL ME! HELP!"

"What?"  Ron asked with tearful eyes.  "But I'm not doing anything!"  Ron knew that all Fudge needed to hear was that he was trying to kill a visitor for him to lose his appeal.

Dementors swept in the cell gathering around Ron who screamed before everything went black… again.

Harry and Hermione entered Professor Dumbledore's office, causing Sirius to jump ten feet high in surprise.  Professor Snape and Remus Lupin were also in the Headmaster's office.  Remus looked exhausted, but he was a bit amused at Sirius' fright.  Professor Snape looked at the two students loathingly.

Professor Dumbledore couldn't help but look slightly amused, although Sirius was actually… angry!

"HAVEN'T YOU TWO HEARD OF KNOCKING?  YOU COULD'VE BEEN ANOTHER PROFESSOR!  HONESTLY, HARRY I THOUGHT YOU WERE WORRIED ABOUT ME GETTING CAUGHT!"  Sirius yelled.

"Sorry."  Harry and Hermione said in unison.

"We were hoping that the Weasley's faces didn't mean anything significant.  Tell us it's just another prank, and that Ron really wasn't found guilty."  Hermione pleaded.

"If I were going to lie to you, it might be something among those words.  As it is…" Professor Dumbledore said softly.

"Weasley blew it."  Professor Snape said.

"You mean he actually did it?"  Harry asked.

"Don't be ridiculous, you know that's not possible."  Hermione said.

"No, Mr. Potter I do not believe Mr. Weasley is guilty."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"Then how-"

"Weasley lost his patience."  Professor Snape said.

"How would they expect anybody to be patient after being in Azkaban?"  Sirius asked.

"Especially when they knew they were going to be sent right back…" Remus added.  "Somebody led Ron to believe that Fudge paid the jury to find Ron guilty, despite any proof, and I think that somebody was right."

"But that's not fair!"  Hermione cried.

"Nothing's fair anymore."  Harry said miserably looking at Sirius as if to show Hermione an example.

"Well, he'll be having a fair appeal."  Remus assured them.

There was a knock at the door.  Sirius transformed into a dog abruptly and hid behind Professor Dumbledore's desk.

"Come in…" Professor Dumbledore called.

Hit Witch Diane Watson entered the room cautiously.

Sirius crawled out from underneath Professor Dumbledore's desk.

"Ms. Watson, such a pleasant surprise to see you back here.  May I ask what brings such a pleasant surprise?"  Professor Dumbledore asked trying to get her attention, but Sirius seemed to have it all.

Remus noticed this and took out his wand cautiously, incase a memory charm was needed.

Harry and Hermione tried to remain calm, but they couldn't help but exchange a worried glance.  This lady was a hit witch and possibly an auror, or someone who could see through a person, as she was looking at Sirius suspiciously.

Diane pulled out her wand and eyed the dog cautiously.  "Is that a muggle's dog, or is it an Animagus?"  Diane asked never breaking eye contact with the dog.

"It's my dog!"  Harry cried quickly.

Diane muttered a spell that made Sirius transform back into his human form.  He looked worriedly from Diane to Remus and from Remus to Dumbledore.

"Well, it's good for you that the Minister's so thick, isn't it Sirius?"  Diane said with a smirk on her face.

Harry and Hermione looked confused.  It was if the two knew each other.

"Diane, you're not going to turn me in, are you?"  Sirius asked with a plea behind his voice.

"Now that is the first time, I have ever heard you plead.  You must be really desperate."  Diane said grinning.

"I am not desperate!"  Sirius said.

"I'm sure Severus would like it if I were to take you to the Minister."  Diane said smiling and glancing ever so slightly to Professor Snape.  Professor Snape suddenly looked weird to Harry and Hermione, and it wasn't just the possibility of having Sirius gone that made him look so happy, it was as if he were actually taken with this Hit Witch Sirius called Diane.  "As much as I would love to turn you in… I'd have to fill out a bunch of paperwork, and I just got off duty.  Not to mention, I'd have to take you to Azkaban, and I'm not in the mood."

"So, if you aren't here to turn Black in, why are you here?"  Professor Snape asked curiously.

Harry was sure this witch was a former Slytherin in Snape's year, after hearing Snape's more gentle tone.

"My apologies."  Diane said to everybody.  She turned to the Headmaster.  "Sir, Professor McGonagall gave me the password to allow me up to your office.  I have letters for two of your students that attend here.  With your permission, I'd like for those two students to receive them.  To be completely honest, the Minister doesn't know of these letters, and would never approve of me being here, but I feel that the Minister's been quite unfair in the past month, and as I'm off duty, I felt it necessary to at least deliver the letters to you, and you may decide whether these students can receive them or not.  I'm sorry for interrupting your meeting."

"Just a second, please."  Professor Dumbledore said as he looked at the envelopes.  "Who are these from?"

Diane glanced at the two teenagers in the room and looked back to the Headmaster to remind him of the two children in the room.

"They're addressed to them."  Professor Dumbledore said smiling.  "Therefore I won't read their mail, if I know who wrote these, and if there's nothing questionable about the contents of the letter."

"A friend of theirs, Ron Weasley.  He wrote them ages ago, though he knew he couldn't send them out.  He asked me to deliver the letters, if the Minister found him guilty, and there was no chance of him ever leaving Azkaban.  I feel responsible for his outburst, as I had the dementors stay with him the night before the trial.  I told him about the Minister's scam, and I just feel that I owe it to him, for leaving and everything to give his friends these letters."  Diane explained.

"I'm sorry, but you said that he asked for you to deliver them only if there was no chance of him ever leaving Azkaban… Professor Lupin… or… he just said before you came in that there's going to be a fair appeal, or at least _an_ appeal!"  Hermione said anxiously.

"I'm delivering these, because I know he won't be leaving Azkaban legally."  Diane said formally.

"Professor Dumbledore will be organizing the appeal using Veritaserum."  Professor Snape said.

"Oh, well then perhaps Professor Dumbledore didn't receive an owl yet."  Diane said.

"Or perhaps the Minister won't be sending one.  May I ask what will be in my owl?"  Professor Dumbledore said.

"Fudge has cancelled the appeal.  Ron had a visitor the other day that offered him a proposition… Information on a friend of his in exchange for an escape, a guarantee on his innocence at the appeal, or a rope to hang himself with…" Diane started.

"Oh my God!  Please tell me he didn't kill himself!"  Hermione cried.

"He didn't say anything about Harry, did he?"  Sirius asked with disbelief.

"No, he told the visitor to go away and the visitor screamed to the dementors that Ron had been trying to murder him.  The dementors and the visitor both told the Minister about this, and the Minister cancelled his appeal."  Diane said.

"Who was the visitor?"  Professor Snape asked.

Diane gave him a meaningful look, and Professor Snape understood that it was Lucious Malfoy.

"How do you know for sure that that was what happened?  Did Weasley tell you, or…" Professor Snape asked raising the eyebrow.

"Ron couldn't tell me if it meant his freedom.  Not only has he lost his mind, his voice has gone as well."  Diane said.

"Then how are you so sure that the visitor wasn't telling the truth?"  Sirius asked.

"I have my sources, but I can't unveil them."  Diane said.

"Miss?"  Hermione asked.

"Diane Watson."  Diane said.

"Ms. Watson, can't you at least tell the Minister about the visitor setting Ron up, if you're so certain that it happened differently, perhaps you could unveil your sources to the Minister… so he could see or hear the proof."  Hermione said.

"I tried, but- The Minister doesn't like to be lied too, and he doesn't like to be proven wrong.  So he believes the liar, and he doesn't want to be wrong about what he believes."  Diane said.

"He just doesn't want Ron out of Azkaban, does he?"  Harry asked.

"What does he have against Ron?"  Hermione asked in frustration.

"Hermione!  I just remembered that essay that's due tomorrow… I didn't start it.  Come to the library and help me."  Harry said meaningfully.

Hermione looked at him skeptically and rolled her eyes in annoyance.  "You choose now to remember?"  Hermione asked.

"Yea, bad timing, but it'll be even worse tomorrow."  Harry said.

"Fine!  Hold on a second."  Hermione said before turning back to Professor Dumbledore.  "Can I just have that letter?"

"Is there anything in these letters that might be questionable?"  Professor Dumbledore asked the Hit Witch.

"No."  Diane said.

Professor Dumbledore handed the letters to Harry and Hermione, before they left.

Hermione was extremely annoyed with Harry for pulling her out of Dumbledore's office where information about Ron was being exchanged for a stupid assignment, and to be honest, she didn't know which assignment Harry was on about.

"Do you realize that they're talking about Ron, our friend, up there?  You've never cared about homework before, and you could've just taken a detention!"  Hermione cried frustratingly.

"Hermione, I do realize that, and that brought up another realization for me."  Harry said with a smile.

"What?"  Hermione asked.

"Rita Skeeter…" Harry said grinning.

"Oh Harry, what are you on about?"  Hermione asked irritably.

"Hear me out!"  Harry whispered, looking around to make sure nobody was close by.  "Listen, we can blackmail her.  We know what she is, so if we write to her about everything we know and about everything that's going on in the Ministry, she'll go to the _Daily Prophet_ about it, and we'll warn her not to write anything else… or we'll reveal her secret."

"Harry!"  Hermione cried hugging Harry with tears in her eyes.  "You're a genius!  I should've thought about that ages ago!  Let's go to the library I want to write the article for her."

The following morning, Rita Skeeter, received an owl that wasn't a howler, and that contained no evidence of poison that would hurt her fingers if she opened it.  Not used to having such a non-dangerous, non-screaming letter.  She opened it, and she grinned as she read the following.

_Dear Rita Skeeter,_

_            Do you remember that agreement we had about you keeping your quill to yourself for a whole year, in order for my silence about your secret as to how you get everybody's stories?  I've changed my mind.  I want you to write an article for the Daily Prophet, if they allow you too.  Mind you, it should look almost identical to the following.  If you write anything other against anybody or anything, besides where I say, I will go straight to the authorities and let them know about your illegal identity._

_Here's what I need you to write about.  There's been corruption at the Ministry.  Ronald Weasley, fifteen, is behind cell bars in Azkaban, because of the Minister's failure to see the evil in the Wizarding World.  Arthur Weasley was murdered on the morning of September first, and Ronald Weasley, the only other Weasley home at the time was framed for the murder._

_            Ronald Weasley was in Azkaban nearly a month, before his trial.  He was released after attempted suicide to St. Mungo's Hospital, where Hit Witches and Wizards watched him.  The night before the trial, he was left to the dementors, because nobody wanted to be apart of the crime that was taking place in the Ministry.  Cornelius Fudge had paid jury members to find Ronald guilty, without making it look too conspicuous.  When Ronald was told of this, he tried to believe differently, and hoped that the truth would change the jury's mind, but the Minister's money and beliefs had more power.  When Ronald knew he didn't have a chance, he lost his patience and made an outburst, as would anybody else in such a situation._

_            As the trial was so biased and set up, an appeal and a fair one, was being planned.  However, the Minister has cancelled the trial, after a death eater visited Ronald Weasley with the following proposition.  If Ronald were to give information about his best friend Harry Potter to the Death Eater, the Death Eater offered to help Ronald escape, give evidence that Ronald was innocence at the appeal, or if he simply wanted a length of rope to hang himself with, he'd give him that.  When Ronald refused to give information, the Death Eater claimed Ronald had tried to kill him, thus the Minister cancelled his appeal.  Real evidence has been offered to the Minister about the Death Eater story, but the Minister appears blind and deaf to the truth._

_            Conditions at Azkaban are beyond terrible, especially for a young man whose only fifteen!  The temperatures are glacial, and with no heat or proper blankets, Ronald Weasley will die from freezing to death or from an illness such as Pneumonia.  If there is no appeal before the end of the month, Ronald Weasley will die, if not from the climate, then from starvation, as food covered in poisonous spiders, is not something anybody would eat, even if they were desperate._

_            Please feel free to emphasize more on the Minister's bad name and blindness.  Only write to the Daily Prophet, if you'll be writing among these lines.  By the way, these are all facts from an unnamed source.    _

_                                                                                                            Sincerely,_

_                                                                                                            Hermione Granger_

Author's Note: I'm sorry… This Chapter didn't please me.  I guess I'm just trying to put some time between the trial and the appeal... if there is one.  The next chapter will be better, I promise, and it will be up by Saturday night, Sunday morning, unless something happens, and something usually does.  Thanks for sticking with me!  I love the reviews!  ~*Carey*~  


	11. Nothing But The Truth

**Misunderstood**

**Chapter Eleven**

**Nothing But The Truth**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the plot to this story.  All characters you recognize belong to J. K. Rowling, Scholastic, and all them people.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading Chapter Ten.  I had too many breaks while writing it, and I had too much on my mind to focus, as you obviously could tell.  I'm really sorry for posting such crap.  Anyway, thank you all for staying so loyal with your reviews and reading.  I hope this chapter is more enjoyable even though it is rushed a bit, and no, this is not the end of the story.  Enjoy!  ~*Carey*~

Harry and Hermione looked guilty as they stood in front of Professor Dumbledore's desk.  Professor Dumbledore had called them to his office after receiving a copy of the _Daily Prophet_.  Hermione knew Rita Skeeter must've written something different than what she had asked.  She hadn't received her copy yet.

"Before you start, Professor, it's all my fault.  See, I told Hermione to write it, because she's good at writing, and we didn't know that… but we should've, and I'll take all the blame."  Harry said.

"What makes you think you did something wrong?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"Because it's Rita Skeeter."  Harry said.  "Wait… if we're not in trouble, then why did you call us up here?"

"I wanted to let you know, that after this paper was released, the Minister denied ever having cancelled Mr. Weasley's appeal, even though I did receive his owl last night."  Professor Dumbledore said.  "The appeal is next week, and I have you two to thank for that.  However, I was wondering how you manipulated Rita Skeeter into writing again, and how you manipulated her into writing something that good will come out of for once."

Hermione and Harry exchanged looks of uncertainty.

"We blackmailed her into writing no more than what we had written."  Harry said.

"We sort of knew how Rita Skeeter got her stories, and I told her last year that I wouldn't say anything if she kept her quill to herself for a month, but when we heard of Ron's losing situation, I wrote to her asking for a favor, which she couldn't refuse."  Hermione said.

"Well, I must say I don't approve of blackmailing by any means, but under the circumstances, it worked."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"Professor," Harry thought quickly. "You know how you said we were to thank for the appeal being back on again and so quickly?  Could you maybe thank us by letting us attend the appeal?"

"Nice try, Harry, but I can't let you come.  You may have another look in the Pensieve when I return, but I'm afraid I cannot let you come."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"What about me?"  Hermione tried.  She couldn't help it; it was worth a shot anyway.  "May I go?"

Professor Dumbledore chuckled and then turned serious.  "Ms. Granger, I'm already on tight grounds with the Minister.  I'm afraid I cannot allow any Hogwarts students to attend the appeal, with the exception of the Weasley's."

To Harry and Hermione's surprise, a week later the Weasley's were still in school.  They weren't allowed to attend the appeal, because of the brawls Charlie had started at the last trial.  Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George all waited for Professor McGonagall to return with news good or bad.  If it was good, Ron would be walking through the portrait hole behind her, if it were bad… well, nobody wanted to think about that.

With the exception of three, underage Weasley's, everybody who had been to the original trial was there.  There were new jury members as well as half of the original jurors from the previous trial.  The crowd seemed bigger, as Rita Skeeter's paper had reached everybody outside of Hogwarts.  With the exception of the Headmaster, nobody in Hogwarts had received the copy of the _Daily Prophet_.  Mrs. Weasley, her father, Bill, Charlie, and Percy Weasley were all seated in the front row.

Professors McGonagall and Snape were at the trial, as was Hagrid and Remus Lupin.  Remus looked extremely ill, as the full moon had been last week.  Professor Dumbledore would be asking the questions this time, and Ron would be under a very strong truth potion called Veritaserum.

"Bring him in!"  The Minister ordered.

The dementors brought in Ron as the Minister opened the appeal by stating the crime Ron was accused of and explained to the crowd and jury members that Ron would be questioned under the truth potion, which a Mediwitch, just outside the courtroom, already gave him.

"Ronald Weasley, can you hear me?"  Professor Dumbledore asked the heavy-lidded, out of focus eyed redhead.

Ron nodded.

The Minister cleared his throat and spoke.  "I will be asking questions now, to make sure that he is under the truth potion."  The Minister told Dumbledore and the crowd.  "Ronald Weasley, were you arrested by muggle authorities during the summer?"  Fudge asked.

"Yes."  Ron said with no emotion.

"For fighting?"  Fudge asked.

"No."  Ron answered to Fudge's surprise.

"No?  What were you arrested for?"  Fudge asked.

"For being out past curfew."  Ron answered.

"But had you been fighting that night?"  Fudge asked.

"Yes."  Ron answered.

"Earlier this summer, did you hit your sister, Virginia Weasley?"  Fudge asked.

"No."  Ron answered.

"Who hit your sister then?"  Fudge asked.

"My grandfather."  Ron answered.

"Why would he hit your sister?"  Fudge asked.

"Because he was drunk and thought it was me."  Ron answered causing quite a few people to gasp.

Bill, Charlie, and even Percy looked at their Grandfather dangerously.  Mrs. Weasley looked at her father horrified.

Not convinced that Ron was really under the Veritaserum, Fudge asked something he knew Ron wouldn't admit if he weren't under the Veritaserum.

"Who told you that I had paid the jury to find you guilty?"  Fudge asked.

"Hit Witch Diane Watson."  Ron said with no emotion.

Fudge raised his eyes searching the crowd for the Hit Witch, but she wasn't there.  "Albus…" Fudge said letting Dumbledore know he believed that Ron was under the Veritaserum, and that Dumbledore could now question Ron.

Professor Dumbledore looked angrily at Fudge for causing Ron to reveal his source, but at least he was satisfied that Ron was under the Veritaserum.

"Mr. Weasley, on the night of August thirty-first, were you upset or angry with your father?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"No."  Ron said.

"What was the last thing your father said to you on that evening?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"He said that he was proud of me for being so strong over the summer and for putting more effort into my holiday assignments.  He said he loved me and he thanked me for being a reminder of normalcy, and he told me to get some sleep, because I'd have to get up early the next morning to catch the Hogwarts Express."  Ron recalled.

Professor Dumbledore was surprised at how much Ron could remember under the Veritaserum, when he was said to be losing his mind in Azkaban.

"Where was your wand when you went to bed that night, do you remember?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

Ron didn't answer at first, but after a few seconds, he did speak.  "It was on my dresser."  Ron said.

"When you awoke the next morning, was your wand still on your dresser?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"Yes."  Ron said.

"Was it in the same place, do you recall?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"No."  Ron answered.

"What was the difference?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"I always keep my wand on the left side of my dresser and it was on the right side of the dresser when I woke up."  Ron said.

"Did you wake up at all during the night?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"Yes."  Ron answered, causing everybody in the courtroom to hold his or her breath.

"Why did you wake up?"  Professor Dumbledore asked uneasily.

"I heard a noise."  Ron answered.

"What made the noise, do you know?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"A rat that had a silver paw."  Ron answered.

Professor Dumbledore glanced ever so quickly at Remus.

"What does a rat have to do with anything?"  Fudge asked Dumbledore.

"It wasn't just a rat."  Ron said.

"What?"  Fudge asked.

"It was an illegal Animagus, a death eater named Peter Pettigrew."  Ron said.

Gasps, whispers, and cries of disbelief and outrage were heard among the courtroom.

"Peter Pettigrew was murdered more than a decade ago!"  Fudge yelled to Ron over everybody's voices.

"No he wasn't."  Ron said.

"How are you so sure?"  Fudge asked.

"I saw him in the shrieking shack alive, at the end of my third year at Hogwarts."  Ron answered.

"Severus Snape, a Professor at Hogwarts, was with you and he saw no sign of Peter Pettigrew."  Fudge said.

"He was stunned before Professor Lupin and Sirius Black could make him show himself."  Ron said.

More whispers and outbursts came throughout the crowd.

"You wouldn't happen to know how Sirius Black was getting into the castle that year, would you?"  Fudge asked knowing Ron couldn't lie.

"He was an illegal Animagus too."  Ron said causing Remus to turn paler than he already was.

"What kind of animal was he able to transfigure himself into?"  Fudge asked.

"A black dog."  Ron answered causing Professor McGonagall to look horrified.

Professor Dumbledore had to say something, but Fudge wasn't finished.

"Has Harry Potter been in contact with Sirius Black at all since the time at the Shrieking Shack?"  Fudge asked.

"Yes."  Ron answered.

"When's the last time he's contacted him?"  Fudge asked.

"At the start of the summer."  Ron said.

"And has Sirius Black tried to harm Harry in any way?"  Dumbledore asked loudly.

"No."  Ron answered causing even more outbursts throughout the courtroom.

"Has Professor Dumbledore been in contact with Sirius Black at all after your third year?"  Fudge asked causing the courtroom to be deafeningly silent.

"Yes."  Ron said.

"Did you murder dad?"  Bill asked loudly, trying to distract them from Sirius Black.

"No."  Ron answered.

"He can be released," Fudge said to Dumbledore. "But you've been associating with an traitor.  You were the one who told me that he betrayed the Potters!"

"Mr. Weasley, what did Peter Pettigrew admit to doing, in the shrieking shack that night?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"He admitted to tipping off You-know-who of the Potter's whereabouts.  He had turned spy for You-know-who at least a year before their murder."  Ron said.

"How did Pettigrew know about the Potter's whereabouts?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"Sirius made him secret-keeper, because he knew that You-know-who would come after him, and he planned to trick You-know-who by using Pettigrew."  Ron said.

"And Pettigrew was the spy?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"Yes."  Ron answered.

"And Pettigrew's still alive?"  Fudge asked disbelievingly.

"Yes."  Ron answered.

"In light of testimony under the Veritaserum all charges against you Ronald Weasley, are dropped, and for your pain, you are to be given free treatment at St. Mungo's Hospital as well as a hundred galleons and the Ministry's full apologies."  Fudge said quickly.  Then he turned to Dumbledore.  "You're school is now under my ruling.  You may continue to be the Headmaster, but it will run the right way.  No more of this… deceit!"

The dementors entered the room through the door.  They were ready to take Ron back with them; only Fudge realized this and stopped them.  "No, he's free.  Go to Hogwarts and search for Sirius Black.  Carter, Johnson, bring this boy to St. Mungo's at once.  Andrews, find Watson and tell her she's fired!"  Fudge yelled to the Hit Wizards and Witches.

Professor McGonagall opened the portrait hole and dementors swooped in the Gryffindor Common Room.

Remus Lupin, Hagrid, the Minister, and Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Dumbledore entered the common room to find Harry and Hermione working on homework with a black dog lying beside the table.  The dog whimpered and backed up against Harry, who was now aware of the dementors.  Harry and Hermione pulled out their wands and stood in front of the dog.

"Professor Dumbledore!"  Harry cried frantically.

"Mr. Potter, move now."  Fudge said dangerously.

"No."  Harry said defiantly.

Fudge pushed Harry hard out of his way and grabbed the black dog pulling him hard so that death eaters surrounded him.

Fudge performed the spell that caused Sirius to turn human.  

"Mr. Black…" Fudge muttered something and sparks came out of his wand and shot into Sirius' wrist, causing Sirius to curse with pain.  "You are being magically traced.  You have a trial in two months to prove your innocence.  If you should wander outside of the castle before your trial, there will be no trial.  Dementors will come and administer their kiss, if you so much as put a toe out the door.  You won't be able to transfigure yourself, while there's a tracer in you, and should anybody try to remove it, the dementors will be here, and you will not have a trial.  Do you understand?"  Fudge asked.

Sirius looked to Dumbledore who gave a meaningful look.  Sirius nodded.

"If you want your trial, you won't leave this castle until I send hit wizards for you next week."  Fudge said.  He turned to leave with the dementors just behind him.

The students in the Gryffindor Common Room were staring with disbelief at the fugitive Sirius Black, as were Hagrid and Professor McGonagall.

The Gryffindor Common Room was deafeningly silent from everybody staring at Sirius Black.  Sirius didn't dare move, as Hagrid was right in front of him and looking at him with an expression he couldn't read.

BAM!  Sirius, and all of the Professors and students jumped as a Filibuster Firework went off in the common room.

Everybody turned ever so slightly to see Fred and George Weasley on the other side of the room, looking nonchalantly at the Professors who stared at them.

"Oops."  George said very sarcastically.

"Now may not be the best time to bring this up, but do any of you know whether my brother's going to be coming back to school any time soon?"  Fred asked as if nothing was wrong.

Ginny, Harry, and Hermione looked up at the Professors hopefully.

"It depends on when he's ready to come back."  Professor Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Yes!"  Ginny cried.

"All right then, carry on!"  George said trying to lighten up the situation.

"Yea, you all were giving each other threatening glares…" Fred said.

"Kind of like the way you're looking at us."  George said referring to the annoyed adults that were looking at them impatiently.

"Don't you have a detention to go to?"  Professor Snape asked irritated.

"I don't know what's today?"  Fred asked.

"Today's Saturday, which means you're late for your detention with Professor Binns."  Angelina lied meaningfully.

"Oh, okay then."  George said cheerfully standing up to leave.

"Isn't it funny that Harry's dog was the person supposedly trying to kill him all these years?"  Fred asked.

"Yea, it's a wonder he didn't get Rabies and bite Harry ages ago.  Nobody would've ever known."  George said and they disappeared through the portrait hole.

Hagrid sighed and let out a laugh.  "I reckon their right, if you wanted to kill Harry you could've done it ages ago, when you lent me that motorcycle, you could've hexed it, but you didn't."  Hagrid said.

"So you're not going to kill me?"  Sirius asked unsurely.

"Nah, I reckon Harry and Dumbledore trust yeh, and yeh weren't the only one thrown into Azkaban without a trial, so as long as Harry's alive then I won't have to kill yeh."  Hagrid said.

Sirius smiled then looked to Professor McGonagall hopefully.

"I don't think it was possible for Weasley to lie under the Veritaserum, welcome back Mr. Black."  Professor McGonagall said.  "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go make sure the Weasley's aren't doing too much damage to the castle."

Professor McGonagall left through the portrait hole with Hagrid and Professor Snape just behind her.

"Perhaps we should move this up to my office.  Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, you should come too."  Professor Dumbledore said.

Remus, Sirius, Harry, and Hermione followed Professor Dumbledore to his office.  There Sirius, Harry, and Hermione had a seat.  Remus remained standing.

"Before you start, they should know that he really had no control…" Remus said to the Headmaster.

"What did Professor McGonagall mean, when she said she didn't think it was possible for Ron to lie under the Veritaserum?"  Harry asked.

"Mr. Weasley was under the Veritaserum, or the truth potion as you all know.  Under the potion, he was made to answer every question, and honestly."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"How does that have anything to do with Sirius?"  Harry asked.

"Well, it turns out that Wormtail had been in the burrow the night Arthur Weasley was murdered.  He apparently woke Mr. Weasley up and the Minister got his explanation about Sirius being the illegal Animagus and everything that happened in the Shrieking Shack."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"Ron told?  How could he?"  Harry asked angrily.

"He was under the Veritaserum, he didn't have a choice."  Professor Dumbledore said firmly.

"Fudge also heard about Pettigrew being the one to betray your parents, and how Sirius never killed him, how he's still alive.  He knows about Wormtail being an illegal Animagus as well."  Remus pointed out.

"I hate him!"  Harry muttered angrily.

"No you don't!"  Hermione snapped.

"If Fudge gives Sirius a trial like Ron's original one, Sirius will get his soul sucked out of him!  Ron was only in Azkaban."  Harry said.

"Harry, first of all I won't be having a trial like Ron's first one.  He may have just freed me if I'm put under the Veritaserum.  Azkaban is the most miserable place in the world.  If Ron had been there in another few weeks, he'd die."  Sirius said.

"How do you know Fudge is going to put you under the Veritaserum?"  Harry asked.

"Dumbledore will be there."  Sirius said.

"Professor Dumbledore was there when Fudge came in with those dementors, or don't you remember?"  Harry asked.

"Have faith Harry."  Sirius said.

"I had faith in Ron, but look where you are now!"  Harry cried angrily.

"The Minister found Ron innocent, though, right?"  Hermione asked.  She had heard the Headmaster say it before, but she needed to hear the words.

"Yes."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"So when's he coming back?"  Hermione asked.

"When he's ready to.  He needs to regain his sanity first."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"If he was insane, then how could he answer the questions under the Veritaserum?"  Hermione asked.

"The Veritaserum is a very strong truth potion, it made him remember, so he was able to answer the questions truthfully."  Professor Dumbledore said.

One Month Later…

"Hey, how are you feeling?"  Charlie asked hugging his youngest brother tightly.

"A lot better, thanks."  Ron said smiling.  It had been forever, since he'd smiled.

"Did Bill come and visit you last week?"  Charlie asked taking a seat next to his brother's bed at St. Mungo's hospital.

"Yea."  Ron said.

"You up for a game of chess?"  Charlie asked pulling out a chessboard.

"Always."  Ron said happily.  

"Hey Charlie, can I ask you something?"  Ron asked later that evening.

"Sure.  What?"  Charlie asked.

"Does… Mum doesn't believe me, does she?"  Ron asked.

"I'm sure she does, why do you ask?"  Charlie asked knowing very well that his mother was still skeptical.

"She hasn't come to visit me at all."  Ron said.  "In fact, nobody's visited me besides you and Bill, and you don't know how much I appreciate your visits.  I just wish mum would come see me, even if she screamed at me, or didn't say anything at all."  Ron said despairingly.

"Percy hasn't stopped by at all either?"  Charlie asked.

"No, he hates me because I make him look bad at work.  To be a brother to a suspected murdered isn't something anyone would be proud of."  Ron said.

"Did you hear that they're going to let you go back to Hogwarts on Monday?"  Charlie asked.

"I can't wait."  Ron said sarcastically.

"I'd have thought you wanted to go back to Hogwarts."  Charlie said.

"I do, it's just I'm not looking forward to the taunts.  Everybody's going to be afraid of me and think that I'm a murderer."  Ron said.

"Well Fred, George, and Ginny know that you didn't do anything."  Charlie said.

"Where will I go next summer?  Mum's not exactly inviting me home."  Ron said looking a bit apprehensive.

"I think they said something about going to live with dad's father, in Ireland."  Charlie said.

"That wouldn't be bad."  Ron said.

"And if there were any problems, Bill or I would let you stay with one of us.  Picture that, going to Romania, helping me with dragons."  Charlie said.

"That would be fun."  Ron said.

"Speaking of fun, or the opposite… do you need anything for school?"  Charlie asked.

"My trunk was at the burrow, and I think the Ministry members have my wand."  Ron said.

"It will all be here on Monday.  Until then, just relax.  Heaven knows how much you'll have to make up."  Charlie said.

"Are you sure that Dumbledore and everybody's going to let me go back after all I've missed?"  Ron asked.

"Yes, he's arranged for you to take Floo Powder from here to Honeydukes in Hogsmeade."  Charlie said.

"Won't Madam Rosmerta mind?"  Ron asked.

"No.  She'll be expecting you."  Charlie said.

Ron stepped out of the fireplace at Honeydukes brushing the soot off of himself.  To his surprise, Madam Rosmerta wasn't around.  Ron pushed his trunk out of the shop and ran into Hagrid who seemed to be waiting for him.  He beamed at Ron, who returned a nervous smile.

"How are yeh doing?"  Hagrid asked taking Ron's trunk, as they began to walk up to the castle.

"Good."  Ron answered.

"Look, I know how it is to lose a father, and I know how it is to be wrongly accused.  So if you ever need to talk, you remember where my hut is."  Hagrid said.

"Thanks Hagrid."  Ron said happily.

"Harry and Hermione have really missed you, not to mention your brothers and sister."  Hagrid said.

'At least somebody missed me.' Ron thought.  He inwardly wanted for his mother to miss him just a bit.

"Did I miss a lot?"  Ron asked.

"Nothing Hermione can't catch you up on."  Hagrid said.

Ron entered the castle and headed straight for the Gryffindor Common Room, but Hagrid stopped him.  "I'll get one of the houseelves to bring up your stuff.  You go and see Professor Dumbledore.  He'll be in his office."  Hagrid said.  He whispered the password and left Ron.

Ron knocked on Professor Dumbledore's door.

He heard someone call him in and he entered the office, to his surprise, he saw Sirius in his human form having a cup of tea at the Headmaster's desk.

He didn't take more than a step into the office.  Ron had read in the _Daily Prophet _about what he confessed on trial just a week ago, and he knew that he was responsible for Sirius now being traced, and if things kept on going the Minister's way, he'd be responsible for Sirius getting the Dementor's kiss.  He was also aware that he had lost Diane Watson her job.

"Mr. Weasley."  Professor Dumbledore said smiling.  

Sirius turned to see Ron and he smiled sadly at him.  He felt terrible for him.  Sirius had been wrongly accused and suffered thirteen years in Azkaban, and even though Ron had suffered only two months, Sirius knew those two months were worse, especially for a fifteen year old.  When Sirius was fifteen he had been dating girls and pulling pranks, at least his adolescent years were free from such pain.  

And despite what Ron believed, Sirius didn't blame Ron in the slightest, if anything he wanted to thank him, because under the Veritaserum, he had proven that Peter Pettigrew was still alive, and he was the one who betrayed the Potter's.  Though Harry was angry with Ron for putting his Godfather in such a jeopardizing situation, and Sirius could see from Ron's hesitant behavior, that Ron felt guilty for putting him in such a situation as well.

"Ron, come sit down, and have some tea, won't you?"  Sirius asked.

"Thanks, but I have classes to go to."  Ron said looking at the floor.  He looked up at Professor Dumbledore.  "Professor Dumbledore, am I allowed to attend them, or would you rather me just wait until next year, because if you'd rather I could go-"

"I'd prefer you to attend your fifth year this year.  I trust Ms. Granger will catch you up on everything you've missed, and the Professors understand your absence.  If you're not feeling well enough, you don't have to attend lessons, you may go to the infirmary, but under no circumstance should you feel that you're not allowed to learn here."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"Thanks.  Do you have my timetable or does Professor McGonagall?"  Ron asked.

Professor Dumbledore scanned the top of his desk, and reached for a piece of parchment.  He handed it to Ron.  Ron looked at it and saw that he had Potions this morning, and as classes had already started, he would be late.

Professor Dumbledore handed Ron another piece of parchment that was a pass for being late.

"Thanks."  Ron said.  He turned to leave.

"Mr. Weasley…" Professor Dumbledore called stopping him.  "Please know that there will be talk amongst the students, and that you are in for a rough day back, but if you ever need to talk, you know the password.  My door will always be open to you."

"Thanks."  Ron said again.

Ron went up to the common room and got his robes.  After showering, he got his books and walked down to the dungeon for his Potions lesson.

He knocked on the door, feeling like an outsider.

"COME IN!"  Professor Snape had called.

Ron knew by his tone of voice that Professor Snape was in a _wonderful_ mood as usual.  Ron would only be making his day more enjoyable by showing up.

Ron pushed the dungeon door open and stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do.  He could see out of the corner of his eyes, his classmates all staring up at him with disbelief.  

Professor Snape looked up to see who had come in, and he looked at Ron with disbelief, not expecting him to have come back so soon.

"Mr. Weasley."  Professor Snape started.

Ron walked over to Professor Snape and gave him his pass.

"Go take a seat and open your book to page seventy."  Professor Snape said.

Ron nodded and walked over to the tables.  Dean and Seamus sat at a table, Parvati and Lavender sat at the next.  At the third table from the front sat Harry, Hermione, and Neville.  Ron sat at the back table all alone and opened his book.

"Professor, I refuse to go to school with a murderer!"  Malfoy said loudly causing all the Slytherins to look at Ron with glares as they mocked terrified looks.  The Gryffindors all looked behind them to Ron.  Only Harry and Hermione had known why their classmate hadn't been in school for the first three months.  Hermione looked at Ron with a look of sympathy.  Harry hadn't looked at Ron, and Ron knew Harry was mad at him, though he didn't see the dangerous glare Harry had been giving Malfoy.

"Mr. Malfoy, if you'd prefer to not learn, or learn elsewhere you're free to leave.  Otherwise, you'll be quiet and you'll continue to brew your potion."  Professor Snape said.

Malfoy didn't leave and surprisingly he stayed quiet.

Once Potions was over Ron left trailing behind all of the Slytherins and the Gryffindors.  Ron could handle this; anything was better than being in Azkaban…

"Why'd you do it Weasley?  Were you mad because your father doesn't make as much as mine?  Did you think if he died, you'd get some money from it?"  Malfoy taunted.

Ron ignored him and continued to walk.

"Such a pity your suicide attempt didn't work."  Malfoy continued with a smirk on his face.  "I guess that's the end of my relationship with your sister."

Ron nearly stopped walking, but kept his cool. Most unfortunately, Malfoy realized the effect the mention of his sister had on him.

"You know your sister's a real harlot.  I noticed those new robes she's wearing.  Her pockets have holes for my hands to feel her thighs, among other things.  Such a pity I wasn't her first, I guess that Creevey kid with the camera got there first."  Malfoy taunted.

Ron stopped in his tracks, turning around ever so quickly and looking dangerously at Malfoy.

SMACK!

Ron looked around, surprised.  As much as he wanted to hurt Malfoy, he knew he couldn't risk getting in trouble after all of the rumors going around.  But somebody had got to him.

"If you ever say another word against Ginny, I'll remove the parts of your body that keep you from being a girl!"  Hermione warned dangerously.

Malfoy paled and took a step back.  

"Come on Ron."  Hermione said gently pulling on Ron's sleeve a bit.

They made their way out to the greenhouses without Malfoy making another comment.

After Herbology, everybody headed for the Great Hall for lunch.

Ron didn't seem hungry, since he walked straight up the stairs heading for the common room.  However, once he entered the common room, he found Harry and Sirius talking, and he ran quickly and quietly up to his dorm.

"Harry, he's having a rough time right now, you're not helping him any by not being there for him."  Sirius said.

"You don't realize how much trouble he put you in!"  Harry said.

"No, I don't.  I realize that he's helping me.  He's allowing me the trial I was never given.  He gave testimony under the Veritaserum that Wormtail is still alive, and that he confessed to betraying your parents.  Fudge wouldn't have believed that otherwise.  You know what I also realize, Harry?  I see that Ron's been to Hell and back, and he does feel a tremendous amount of guilt for upsetting you and for jeopardizing my life, but you know what?  Ron's in a world that hates him, and you're not there with him.  You're part of the world that hates him Harry, and you need to change that before its too late."  Sirius said. ****


	12. More Than A Friend

Misunderstood  
Chapter Twelve  
More Than A Friend  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the plot to this story. Any characters you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic, and all them people.  
Author's Note: Thanks so much for the reviews. I'm very happy that everybody has enjoyed my story this far. I hope you continue to read and enjoy. Sorry for the delay in posting, there were two friends of the family that died, and the world just stopped turning, therefore I stopped writing. But the Eagles winning, makes everybody happier, and therefore I can write again. Also J.K. Rowling's finished writing the fifth book. It'll be out on June 21st! I'm very happy! I have something besides work to look forward to this summer! God bless to everybody and thanks again so much for the reviews! ~*Carey*~  
  
"Hermione, do you have a minute?" Ron asked nervously after dinner a week later.  
Hermione looked at her friend of four years with bewilderment. Why was he so distant that he felt he had to ask to talk to her?  
"Of course, what is it?" Hermione asked. She inwardly rolled her eyes, the way she asked was as if he had been asking Parvati or Lavender for something. This wasn't how best friends talked! "I mean sure. You want to go to the common room?" Hermione asked.  
"I'd rather not..." Ron said.  
Of course he didn't. He avoided the common room at all possible times. Hermione reckoned he only went into Gryffindor Tower to sleep, dress, and collect his books. Hermione had wondered where he went during his free time. He avoided the Great Hall during mealtimes, and he wasn't in the common room or dorm, because he feared Harry. Hermione felt bad for him. She inwardly wished that Harry would grow up and see that it wasn't Ron's fault, but Harry wanted to blame somebody, and that somebody happened to be Ron.  
"Can we go to the library? I need your help. I need to copy your notes from all the lessons I missed, and that's three months worth... I'm not asking to cheat or anything, I know how you feel about that, but I need your notes. Professor McGonagall even told me to go to you." Ron said nervously.  
Hermione looked at him with disbelief. Why was he acting so awkward? "Honestly, Ron! I'll go get my books, I'll meet you in the library in about fifteen minutes." Hermione said.  
"Thanks." Ron said.  
Hermione turned around looking at him with surprise. Had he really thanked her? When had he ever thanked her for helping with an assignment?  
"Your welcome." Hermione answered. She climbed the stairs to Gryffindor Tower with her mind on Ron. Why was his awkwardness making her feel so awkward? Why had three months changed him? No, it had been more than three months since she last saw him. The last time she'd seen him was at King's Cross Station when they were parting after their fourth year. It had been five months; it had been five, long, miserable months.  
Hermione entered the Gryffindor Common Room to find Harry talking to Sirius, poor Sirius... At least now he'd get a trial, though after Ron's trial it wasn't really a good thing. Though Ron was not to blame for Sirius' capture. It wasn't his fault.  
"Hey Hermione, where have you been?" Harry asked.  
"I just finished eating." Hermione said.  
"Was Ron there?" Harry asked with one eyebrow raised.  
"No, he doesn't eat in the Great Hall, Malfoy would start with him, and not only would he lose his appetite, he'd fight, and he doesn't need that right now. He's trying to be good." Hermione said running upstairs to her dorm.  
Harry rolled his eyes as if annoyed at Ron. She came downstairs with her bag full of books.   
"Where are you going now?" Harry asked.  
"Down to the library. Ron needs to catch up on his work, and I'm going to lend him my notes." Hermione said.  
"Why don't you go join them Harry?" Sirius asked.  
"No." Harry said.  
"You don't think its killing Ron to know that he's the reason Sirius' life may be in jeopardy? He's beyond miserable Harry. He's depressed enough as it is after Azkaban, and to know that he lost a Hit Witch her job and Sirius' escape is eating him inside! That wasn't his fault! You take a sip of the Veritaserum and try and fight your own mind. Ron was insane; he couldn't remember anything if he wasn't on the Veritaserum. He couldn't stop himself from answering anybody. Just give him a break. He was your best friend!" Hermione snapped angrily before leaving.  
"I reckon I must be wrong. Hermione's taking Ron's side. Usually it's them who are fighting and now they're sticking together." Harry said to Sirius.  
"Go talk to them." Sirius said.  
"No." Harry said defiantly.  
"You're going to need them if I'm convicted." Sirius tried.  
"Ron will be the one responsible if you're convicted!" Harry said.  
"No, Peter will be. They can't find Peter, and he's the one who framed me." Sirius said. "Ron does need you now though. His father's died, he's supposedly a murderer and from what I heard..."  
"What did you hear?" Harry asked curiously noticing Sirius' hesitation.  
"I heard that Mrs. Weasley wouldn't let him go home to her next summer. They're still trying to find a place to put him." Sirius said.  
"I thought Mrs. Weasley believed Ron was innocent." Harry said.  
"I don't doubt that she does, but she's living with her father now, and her father and Ron aren't exactly fond of each other." Sirius said. "So think about what he must be going through. He's just come out of Azkaban, which is worse than death, may I remind you, and his father's been killed, he lost somebody her job, he put his best friend's Godfather in a bit of a jam, his best friend isn't talking to him, and his mother doesn't want him. Don't you think that's a bit much for somebody to handle, especially a fifteen-year-old boy, like yourself?"  
"Sirius..." Harry said.  
"I'm dead serious Harry." Sirius said ignoring Harry's look of annoyance. "Look, when I'm found innocent, you had better be talking to him or I'll never allow you to step foot in Hogsmeade again, and I'll tell Dumbledore about the secret passageway there."  
"You can't ground me Sirius." Harry said.  
"I'd be your legal guardian, and I would be able to. Don't you remember I'm the one who gave you permission to go to Hogsmeade?" Sirius asked.  
"Well as long as that happens... you being found innocent." Harry said.  
"I will be. Dumbledore will see too that. Have faith." Sirius said.  
  
Down in the library, Ron was copying Hermione's notes.  
"Would you like me to summarize them for you?" Hermione asked.  
"No thanks, if you need them back, just let me know, I'll copy them another night. I just need to have them to study for, for the O.W.L.'s and all." Ron said.  
"But I always add a bit more than necessary and I..." Hermione tried to help, but Ron wouldn't hear of it.  
"And you're the smartest witch in our year. I won't be as smart as you, but I'll at least know this material in the long run." Ron said.  
"You've never cared so much about what you need to know in the long run before." Hermione said.  
"It never really mattered before. I realized how slowly time could go in Azkaban. I don't want to have wasted so much time here to have nothing good come out of it. Besides, I reckon I need to change in order to stay here. This is the best school of magic around. Fudge will throw me out in a heartbeat give him the chance. He's going to make sure Dumbledore runs the school legally now, or he said so anyway. I've missed three months of school; they don't need a reason to throw me out. It'll happen sooner or later. It's just a matter of time, and that's what I've got. I've always been so lazy. I reckon I might as well put some effort somewhere, before it's too late." Ron said looking directly into Hermione's eyes. He looked back down and continued to copy notes.  
The look Ron had given her was a look so unbelievably deep, it startled her. The words he spoke were deep and heartfelt, and Hermione had never heard him speak in such a way. Ron had changed and Hermione wasn't sure that she liked the change. Why couldn't everything go back to normal? Why wouldn't he just argue with her? Perhaps, she should argue with him, but she was speechless.  
  
"Harry." Hermione said to Harry in the common room that evening. Ron was still in the library.  
"What?" Harry asked.  
"I'm truly worried about Ron." Hermione said.  
Harry didn't say anything, though he rolled his eyes, she couldn't see him.  
"Ron said spoke to me earlier... and he's never spoken like that before." Hermione said.  
"Like what?" Harry asked tightening his fists. He guessed that Ron had sworn at her.  
"I don't know how to describe it... it was very deep." Hermione said.  
"Hermione, you should know that boys' voices tend to change." Harry said. "You had health lessons in school, didn't you?"  
"I didn't mean his voice!" Hermione snapped and then her voice grew gentle as she thought about Ron. "I meant the words he spoke, his thoughts were deep..."  
"If this is your attempt at trying to get me to talk to him, it won't work." Harry said.  
"I think you should talk to him, but I came to talk to you because we're still friends, and I'm worried about my other friend." Hermione said.  
"Then go talk to him." Harry said.  
"I will!" Hermione snapped taking Harry by surprise.  
Hermione left the common room.  
  
"Hey, I thought you might be hungry." Hermione said offering Ron a plate full of deserts.  
"Madam Pince doesn't allow food in the library, Hermione, you should know this." Ron said not looking up from his writing.  
"Of course I know that, but you weren't at dinner, and I know you won't make a mess that I can't clean up." Hermione said.  
"Thanks, but I'm not hungry." Ron said.  
"You haven't eaten anything all day!" Hermione cried.  
"I know where the kitchens are just as well as you do. I have eaten, and if you don't believe me you can ask Dobby." Ron said.  
"Well, you've been working for hours without a break. Maybe you should stop for a bit." Hermione said.  
"If I get hungry I'll eat, I promise." Ron said, still not looking up from the two books of notes.  
"Take a break, you don't have to eat, but you do need a break." Hermione said.  
"I don't need a break. I've had too long of a break already, and because of that I have a lot to catch up on." Ron said.  
"Even I know when its time for a break. You need a break Ron." Hermione said.  
Ron put his quill down and looked up at her. "I don't understand you." Ron said shaking his head as he took a muffin from the plate.  
"What don't you understand?" Hermione asked confused.  
"Why are you still talking to me?" Ron asked. "You're being nice to me when you and everybody else should hate me."  
"Ron, I'm your friend too. We've been friends just as long as Harry and you have and just as long as Harry and I have. Just because Harry is being a prat doesn't mean I have to be. You need a friend right now, and I'm here for you." Hermione said.  
Ron was quiet for a moment.  
"How was your summer at Vicky's?" Ron asked.  
"Ron, his name is Viktor!" Hermione said exasperatedly. When she looked at Ron he was smiling.  
"I know." Ron said.  
Hermione laughed. It felt as if for just a moment things were the way they had always been.  
"So how were things at Viktor's? Did you get to see him play Quidditch a lot?" Ron asked.  
That was Ron all right, always a fan of Quidditch. Hermione had hoped that he'd ask something different while they were on the topic of Viktor Krum, but no it had to be Quidditch.  
"Yes, half the time he was practicing or playing, but I learned a bit." Hermione said.  
"You learned something about Quidditch?" Ron asked in disbelief.  
"Yes. Believe it or not it you need to learn how to play or understand a game! Like Chess, surely somebody taught you." Hermione said.  
"I know you have to learn how to play a game, but that bit of learning's fun. I thought you learned about the history of Quidditch or something boring like that." Ron said.  
"I already know about the history of Quidditch, and it actually might interest you!" Hermione said.  
"I'm sure I know it. Charlie played Quidditch, after all, and he was obsessed with Quidditch until he got interested in dragons." Ron said. "Anyway, how was Bulgaria?"  
"Interesting." Hermione said.  
"Did you learn a lot or were you having too much fun with-"  
"I learned a lot, though I did enjoy my time with Viktor." Hermione said. She knew he'd say Vicky again, and she couldn't stand the way he'd say the name.  
"So, what's... are you... Are you going to see him again?" Ron asked.  
"Not this summer. My parents want me to stay home this summer, because if you think about it, I've spent most of last summer with you, and this past summer with Viktor, and I stay here during the holidays, so they don't get to see me a lot, and they want me to spend the summer with them." Hermione said.  
"That's not what I meant. I meant is Krum, is he your... is he your boyfriend?" Ron asked.  
"What? Oh... er..." Hermione seemed to be taken back.  
Ron decided his break was over and continued copying notes.  
"No." Hermione said finally.  
Ron looked up. "Why not? He really liked you and-"  
"I thought I liked him, and I do as a friend, but it didn't feel right. Besides, I wouldn't be able to see him for nine months of the year, and-"  
"You have more self-control than any girl I know. You would've been able to keep the relationship, because you wouldn't cheat on him." Ron said.  
"I do trust myself." Hermione said.  
"You don't trust Krum?" Ron asked.  
"I think I trust him." Hermione said.  
"Then where was the problem?" Ron asked.  
"I don't know. I just didn't feel right with him. You know how they say you'll feel it when it's right? There's supposed to be fireworks and magic... and I didn't feel any of that with Krum." Hermione said.  
"Well Fred and George weren't in Bulgaria, and they bought a lot of Filibuster's Fireworks." Ron said.  
Hermione stomped her foot in frustration.  
Ron laughed.  
"I'm just kidding I know what you're talking about Ginny goes on about it all the time, how she can't wait to find the right guy, because of all these romantic novels my mum gave her." Ron said.  
"I thought your family was an old wizarding family... your mum wasn't muggleborn, was she?" Hermione asked.  
"No. Witches write romance novels too." Ron said.  
"What about wizards? You don't think wizards can write romantic novels?" Hermione asked.  
"I'm sure anybody could write one, but men aren't sappy." Ron said.  
Hermione rolled her eyes.  
"I think you've had a long enough break." Hermione said.  
Ron grinned as he picked up his quill. "So how are you supposed to know when you've found the right person? Do you know by seeing them, because in that case a lot of witches found the right person with Lockhart including you, or do you know by sitting near them, or what? How did you know Krum wasn't the one? Tell me you didn't kiss him." Ron said with an even wider grin on his face. He was looking up at Hermione mischievously.  
Hermione blushed and tried avoiding his eyes.  
"You kissed him!" Ron whispered with a laugh. "What else did you do?"  
"I kissed him, and that's as far as it went!" Hermione said embarrassed.  
"So you knew he wasn't the right one because of a kiss?" Ron asked.  
"I didn't feel anything." Hermione said.  
"Well you wouldn't feel anything unless he was French kissing you, and in that case all you would feel is his tongue!" Ron said in a mischievous way.  
"Do you have to be so obnoxious about this?" Hermione asked. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this!"  
"Because I asked you." Ron said.  
"I need to be better friends with Parvati and Lavender." Hermione said rolling her eyes.  
"No you don't." Ron said rolling his eyes. "The only thing they're good for with secrets is making sure the whole school knows them."  
"Well I'll have to be better friends with Ginny then." Hermione said.  
"Ginny's brilliant with secrets, just ask Percy." Ron said reminding Hermione of their second year. On the train ride home Ginny had told the twins about her walking in on Percy kissing Penelope in a classroom.  
"Well then I'll just have to get a diary." Hermione said.  
"Lavender and Parvati will find it and read it, and you'd be no worse off than being their close friends." Ron said. With a smile he added, "I won't be as obnoxious if it makes you happy. You shouldn't have to keep secrets from your friends anyway, and like you said we've been best friends for years now."  
"Thank you." Hermione said sighing a bit of relief at the promise that Ron might be kinder.  
"So your way of finding the right person is kissing them?" Ron asked.  
Hermione slammed her head on the table in frustration. When would he give up? She sat back up pushing stray bushy strands of her wavy hair behind her ears. She gave him a deadly glare.  
"No, seriously, I want to know because if that's the way, there's going to be a lot of things that might prevent you from finding the right guy. Like what if he's sick at the time? You'll get sick, and blame it on the guy, who obviously isn't the right guy, because the right guy would never hurt you. Or what if he's a bad kisser, because he's never kissed before, because he's waiting for the right girl to give him his first kiss?" Ron asked.  
"Ron, it isn't about whether the person's a great kisser or not. It's just I've always heard about this feeling that's so magical, that I'm supposed to feel if the right guy comes along." Hermione said.  
"Are you going to go around kissing every guy in the world?" Ron asked trying to suppress a laugh.  
"No." Hermione said.  
"What if you get that feeling, and the person that gave you that feeling is a real jerk?" Ron asked. Ron laughed hard for a second before he spoke again. "What if you got that feeling from Malfoy?"  
Hermione did laugh a little. "I suppose you're right." Hermione said.  
"I'm just saying that you don't want to waste your life away hoping for a feeling. You could get a weird feeling from kissing a stranger. I think that if someone were made for you, they'd be where you could find them, perhaps even right underneath your nose. Maybe you haven't noticed them yet, maybe you have. Maybe it was Krum. He was sent your way, after all. Perhaps it's Harry." Ron said.  
"What if it's you?" Hermione asked, not meaning to have said it aloud.  
"I don't think it's me." Ron said quickly.  
"Of course not! I don't know what I was thinking of." Hermione said quickly. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to find out."  
"Wait... you mean, kiss me?" Ron asked suddenly breathing a bit heavily.  
"Yes. We're just friends after all. I just want to make sure it's not you." Hermione said. "I'll give you a tooth flossing string mint, if it's that bad, and I'll go kiss Harry after you just to make sure it's not him, either."  
Ron wasn't sure whether to be scared or excited. Hermione was about to kiss him. "Just to prove that we're friends." Ron said as if to make it clear.  
"Exactly." Hermione said.  
"All right then." Ron agreed uneasily.  
"On three." Hermione said.  
"On three." Ron said.  
"One... two..." Hermione counted. She stood up and so did Ron. They both leaned over the table to reach one another and they kissed.  
Ron pulled away first sitting down quickly, but he didn't copy his notes. Hermione sat down speechless. She had felt her knees go week and butterflies were flying in her stomach. She couldn't look at Ron, fearing his reaction.  
"Hermione..." Ron said in a whisper.  
"Er... yes?" Hermione asked breathlessly.  
"I don't want you to kiss Harry." Ron said.  
Hermione looked up at him and he was smiling at her.  
"Does that mean... did you feel it too?" Hermione asked.  
"Yes." Ron said laughing. "Do you want to... do that again?"  
"Yes." Hermione said as she got up and walked around the table to sit next to him. She looked at his books. "You're not going to make any progress on those notes with me around."  
"Good." Ron said, and he kissed her.  
  
Ron had stayed up all night in the common room copying Hermione's notes. He couldn't sleep with her racing across his mind all night. He had to do something to keep his mind off of her, and as he had been distracted from catching up his assignments earlier, he figured he'd might as well copy notes and complete some essays, after all they'd make him tired so he could fall asleep, right?  
  
"Ron, is that you?" Fred asked rubbing his eyes awake as he came out of his dorm at seven o'clock that morning.  
"Yea." Ron said, not aware of the time.  
"You're not always up this early, are you?" George asked following his brother out of the dorm.  
"No, I haven't gone to bed yet." Ron said.  
"Why not?" Fred asked.  
"I've been catching up on notes and assignments I've missed." Ron said.  
"You shouldn't have to catch up, it wasn't like you were on vacation." Fred said.  
"The O.W.L.'s are this year. I've got to know this stuff." Ron said.  
"Up all night doing assignments, worried about the O.W.L's... you sure sound a lot like Percy." George said.  
"My grades don't say the same thing. I'm only doing this so they have reason to keep me here." Ron said gathering his books and essays together. The rest of the Gryffindors would be waking up soon. He didn't want to be around to be judged.  
"What do you mean?" Fred asked.  
"I was in Azkaban, Fudge said he's going to be taking over the school, Dumbledore will still be Headmaster, but he's not allowing any exceptions to the rules. If I get into one fight, Fudge could have Dumbledore throw me out, and then I'll have to go to Ireland and live there with Granddad." Ron said.  
"What? Why?" George asked.  
"Mum doesn't want me to go home to her. I was lucky she let me out of Azkaban. She said during the summer holidays I'll have to live in Ireland with Granddad, and he's nice and all, but it's going to be an everyday reminder of how mum doesn't want me." Ron said.  
"But she knows your innocent!" Fred said.  
"That doesn't matter." Ron said standing up to leave.  
"Where are you going?" George asked.  
"I'm going to go to the library. I need to get some more assignments done before class starts." Ron said before he left the common room.  
  
It was the end of the day. Ron sat next to Neville in Potions. Unfortunately, Professor Snape had them sit up front next to Malfoy and his goons.  
Ron was strained from exhaustion and previous classes. He couldn't wait for Potions to end. He'd catch up on one more essay before he'd go to sleep.   
Potion lessons were always terrible for Ron. Professor Snape made sure to make the Gryffindors' feel miserable and humiliated by the end of class, and he usually succeeded within the first ten minutes. It never helped that he was deaf to Malfoy's taunts, either.  
Ron and Neville had just added ingredients to their potions and were stirring them when Malfoy started up.  
"Such a pity your dad died. I wish I could've been at your so-called house to see you crying over him." Malfoy said smirking.  
Ron stopped stirring, but didn't look up. He was holding his breath and counting to ten inside his head. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He was not in the mood.  
"Draco, he wasn't crying over his dead dad." Goyle said taking Malfoy and even Ron by surprise. Ron looked up with bewilderment.  
"What are you saying?" Malfoy asked dangerously.  
"I heard that he wasn't crying because his dad was dead. He was crying because he got caught for murdering him. He knew he was going to Azkaban, and he was afraid he'd pass out like Potter does every time a dementor's around." Goyle said nastily.  
Malfoy was surprised, but nevertheless he and Crabbe laughed.  
Ron went back to stirring his potion. He wasn't going to fall to their bait.   
"What's your family going to do for money now?" Crabbe asked. "I mean before your dad made a little bit, but now he's dead your going to have nothing."  
"Unless you count what your sister brings in." Goyle said causing Ron to grip the edge of the tightly extremely tightly. "Speaking of which, I owe her for last night. I love your sister's scream."  
BAM!  
Screams could be heard all over the dungeon. Ron had finally lost his temper. He'd flipped Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle's table over, three cauldrons full of boiling potions spilling all over the three boys who were pinned on the floor under the fallen table. The boys were yelling with pain. All the girls in the room with the exception of Hermione were screaming with fright. Ron could hear Neville's cry of support just over Dean and Seamus'.  
Professor Snape was there in a heartbeat. He waved his wand at the table and it turned right side up with the cauldrons flying back on top of them allowing the boys to stand up.  
"WEASLEY!" Professor Snape yelled even though he was right next to him.  
"No! You can't pretend to be deaf to them, and not be blind to me! I'm so sick of this! Here's your bloody potion!" Ron yelled throwing his cauldron at Snape so that the cauldron hit him hard, knocking him over, the contents spilling all over him.   
"I'm finished!" Ron yelled picking up his bag. Ron walked over Snape and left the classroom.  
Hermione and surprisingly Harry picked up their bags and followed him out of the classroom ignoring Professor Snape who was taking away more and more points from Gryffindor for them not returning to the classroom.  
Harry and Hermione caught Ron in his dorm packing.  
"What are you doing?" Hermione asked.  
"Having a cup of tea." Ron said sarcastically. "What does it look like I'm doing?"  
"Why are you packing Ron?" Harry asked.  
"They're going to kick me out, there's no way they can't after that. I lost my temper, and now I'm going to pay for it by being expelled." Ron said.  
"Dumbledore's always been reasonable about everything." Harry said. "He'll give you another chance."  
"Even if he could, he wouldn't. Professor Snape's word is all he has to hear." Ron said.  
"Look at Sirius, Ron!" Harry said.  
"I know! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say it I couldn't help that. I wish I'd never gotten that appeal! I don't deserve to be here, I know that." Ron said.  
"No, I meant look at Sirius. Professor Dumbledore heard him out rather than take Snape's word and hand him over to the dementors. He'll hear you out." Harry said.  
"He can hear me out and he can say he wants me to stay, but that won't mean anything! Fudge is in control of the school now. Nothing but the rules apply now. I disrespected and assaulted a Professor. I'll probably be sent back to Azkaban for that!" Ron said.  
The dormitory door swung open and Sirius entered looking concerned.  
"Ron, what happened just now in Snape's class?" Sirius asked calmly.  
"I lost my temper and got myself thrown out of school." Ron said.  
"He didn't yet!" Harry said.  
"I assaulted a Professor and three students, that's what Fudge is going to hear, and that's all he needs to hear to throw me back in Azkaban." Ron said.  
"You won't be sent to Azkaban for losing your temper." Sirius said.  
"Of course not. Fudge doesn't believe that I didn't kill my dad. He's waiting for something like this to happen so I can be thrown back into Azkaban, because he believes me to be evil and that there really isn't a dark side." Ron said.  
"Do you want to talk to Professor Dumbledore? Professor Snape is having a few words, you might want to get a word in." Sirius said.  
"It doesn't matter! Fudge is in charge now. Anything that's not black and white doesn't apply to this school anymore. He told Dumbledore at the trial that he's taking over the school. Dumbledore's still going to be Headmaster, but there's no more rule breaking or suspicious activity." Ron said.  
"You need to talk to Dumbledore." Sirius said.  
Ron shut his trunk, which was now packed, and followed Sirius to the Headmaster's office with Harry and Hermione just behind him.  
  
Author's Note: I was extremely tired when I finished writing this chapter and decided to end it, but I didn't do a great job with the ending and even though I don't have much more to write, the next chapter will end my story, and it will hopefully end it better than my lame attempt last night. I just don't have anything else to write. ~*Carey*~ 


	13. The Yule Ball

**Misunderstood**

**Chapter Thirteen**

**The Yule Ball**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the plot to this story.  Anything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic, and all them people.

**Author's Note:  Ending the story here didn't work for me, so I decided to give myself a break and think about more ideas, while not promising anybody a quick update.  I have a few more ideas and I will end this story right, though not now.  I hope you enjoy.  Sorry about before.  ~*Carey*~**

Ron, with Harry and Hermione at his side, followed Sirius up to the Headmaster's office.  His head was pounding and he was trying to calm himself, but the thought of having to defend himself kept riling him up.  He didn't understand what the point was anymore.  He was in deep trouble.  He knew what was going to be said.  He'd be thrown out and possibly thrown back into Azkaban.  But then again Dumbledore might still have some power, if Fudge didn't know.  Dumbledore would probably have him suspended and he'd be given a warning when he'd return to not fight again, but that was pointless, because that would just give Malfoy one up on him, and he'd be expelled for sure when he returned.

The spiral staircase brought them to an office door, and Sirius opened it letting the three students and himself enter Professor Dumbledore's office.

Professor Snape was there already and looking dangerously at Ron, who looked down quickly.  The side of Professor Snape's face was bruised and his lip was swollen.  Ron winced thinking about how much trouble he was in now.  This definitely wasn't his day.

"As I was saying Headmaster, he should be thrown out of this school… permanently."  Professor Snape said looking daggers at Ron.

"Mr. Weasley?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

"I can't disagree.  I deserve to be expelled, but I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't tell Fudge.  I don't want to be thrown back in Azkaban."  Ron said, shaking.

"The Minister already knows."  Professor Snape said with his eyes flashing malevolently.

Ron took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"But Ron can't go back to Azkaban!"  Harry cried taking Ron by surprise.  "He shouldn't have been there in the first place!  Fudge can't throw him in Azkaban because he flipped out, even if it was on a teacher… Suspend him if you have to, but don't let Fudge send him to Azkaban.  He can't do it!  Fudge was waiting for something like this to throw him back in there.  Something that would make him look like a bad person, but he proved already that he was innocent, and that should be taken off his record, therefore Fudge wouldn't be able to throw him in Azkaban for throwing a cauldron at a Professor!"

"Harry!"  Professor Dumbledore said rather loudly.

Harry fell silent allowing the Headmaster to speak.

"Ron, you won't be sent to Azkaban.  Nor will you be expelled."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"Headmaster…" Professor Snape started.

Professor Dumbledore held up a hand to silence Professor Snape.

"And you won't be suspended."  Professor Dumbledore said causing Ron to look up with surprise.  "However, you will serve as many detentions as Professor Snape asks you to and at any given time, even on the weekends."

"I really deserve to be suspended."  Ron said quickly.  

Detentions for Snape were the worst kind of detentions.  He would have to clean everything in the castle without magic, and Professor Snape could hand out as many detentions as he wanted.  Ron knew that he'd be serving at least one detention a day for everyday of his fifth year, and if Snape had it his way, he'd be serving detentions everyday of his sixth and seventh years as well.  He'd never make any of his assignments up with detentions.

"Mr. Weasley, you can't afford to miss anymore lessons with your O.W.L.'S being this year.  Therefore, you will be serving any detentions Professor Snape asks of you."  Professor Dumbledore said.

Professor Snape smirked at Ron.  If Ron weren't out of his sight; the next best thing would be having the ability to torture him at any minute he wanted.

"And…" Professor Dumbledore said, and Ron heard a tone of sympathy in Dumbledore's voice as he dreaded what else was coming.  "And I'm afraid that I can not allow you to visit Hogsmeade for the rest of this school year."

"That's fair."  Ron said miserably.  The truth was that it was more than fair; he should've been suspended, expelled, or worse sent back to Azkaban, but he wouldn't even be getting a Howler.  He'd be cleaning the castles when everybody else was having fun in Hogsmeade, but that was all right, because Ron didn't have any money anyway.  His mum hated him, so she wouldn't send him any, and his dad was… dead.

"Headmaster, what about the Yule Ball?"  Professor Snape asked.  "He shouldn't be able to attend that either."

"As it will be Christmas, I'll allow him to attend it."  Professor Dumbledore said giving Ron a smile.

"Isn't there a Hogsmeade visit on Christmas too?"  Ron asked.

"Nice try, Mr. Weasley, but with the exception of attending the Yule Ball, all of your privileges have been taken away."  Professor Dumbledore said.

Ron laughed.  "It was worth a shot."

"Attending the Yule Ball is more of a punishment than a privilege.  I think I'll catch up on my assignments."  Ron said later that evening to Harry.

"You have to go."  Harry said.

"Why?"  Ron asked.

"Because I'm going."  Harry said.

"A few hours ago you hated me."  Ron reminded him.

"I never hated you.  I was mad at you, but I was being stupid."  Harry said.  "But I'm going, so you have to come."

"Why are you going?"  Ron asked rolling his eyes.

"Because Cho's going with me."  Harry said unable to suppress his grin.

"Congratulations, but you'll be with her the whole time.  I'm not exactly wanted around everybody, so I think I'll pass."  Ron said.  "I'm going to go to the library to catch up on my assignments.  Hermione letting me cheat off of her work only happens once."

"I do not let you cheat off me!"  Hermione said from behind him.

"Of course not.  I just borrow your notes and assignments and copy them down on my parchment."  Ron said grinning.

"You don't copy it word for word, you summarize it, and therefore it's not cheating."  Hermione said.

"Again, it's a once in a lifetime chance."  Ron said.

Ron grabbed his bag and headed down for the library.  Hermione promised to meet him in a few minutes.

As Ron was walking down the stairs he ran into several girls, three of whom had asked him to the Yule Ball.  He would've gone with any of them, but he apologized and told them that he wasn't going.

Once in the library, he had just sat down when yet another girl approached him.  He didn't understand why everybody wanted to go to the ball with him, after everybody feared him, he figured they must be desperate to go with somebody.  He looked up and saw Padma Patil, the girl he had brought last year, a Ravenclaw fifth year standing next to his table.

"I heard what happened."  Padma said.

_Who hasn't? _ Ron thought bitterly, but he didn't say anything.

"And I'm really sorry about your dad."  Padma said, taking him by surprise.

Ron looked up.  "Thank you."  Ron said.

"Look if you ever need a friend, I'm here for you."  Padma said.

"Thanks."  Ron said smiling at her.

"You know I missed you, when you didn't come back.  Last year, we only talked for a bit, but you made me smile and laugh.  I was looking forward to seeing you this year, so I could get to know you better.  I thought I'd never get that chance with you're being away, but now that you're back, I was kind of hoping that we could be friends."  Padma said.

"That's great, because I'd like to know you better too."  Ron said unsure of what to say to that.  Ron knew Padma was asking for something behind her words, but he wasn't getting the message.

"So when's a better time to get to know each other than the Yule Ball?"  Padma asked.  "I could find out how you dance, what music you like, and-"

"I'm not going."  Ron interrupted her.

"Why not?"  Padma asked.

"I'd ruin everybody's night.  Everybody thinks I did it, and they're either terrified of me or they look at me with disgust.  Nobody wants me there."  Ron said.

"I want you there.  I want you to come with me.  Think about it, who matters more?  Friends or a bunch of Slytherins?"  Padma asked.

"Friends, but I can't dance."  Ron said.

"Fine, but if for some reason you change your mind, save me a dance."  Padma said.  She smiled before walking away.

Hermione sat down next to Ron, not even ten seconds after Padma had left.  She opened a book to a page that had a quill holding their place.  She handed Ron her book and took out her own Arithmancy homework.

They worked silently for about ten minutes, when Hermione spoke up.

"I can teach you how to dance.  It's not hard."  Hermione said.

"I know how to dance."  Ron said rolling his eyes.

"That's not what you told Padma."  Hermione said.

"You were listening?"  Ron asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes."  Hermione said.  "So why don't you want to go with her?"

Hermione and Ron hadn't spoken of their friendship or relationship or whatever it was, since that kiss in the library.

"I never said I didn't want to go with her.  I'm just not going."  Ron said.

"Why not?"  Hermione asked.

"I have a lot of work to catch up on."  Ron said.

Hermione looked at him with her eyebrows raised.  She sighed.

"Fred and George bought you dress robes and you're not even going to wear them?"  Hermione asked.

"They bought me dress robes?"  Ron asked.

"Yes, over the summer.  And I imagine they'd fit you nice, and they don't have lace."  Hermione said.

"But why would they-"

"I don't know.  You could ask them.  I imagine they'll ask why you aren't going.  It kind of made it pointless for them to buy them."  Hermione said.

"If I were still in Azkaban I wouldn't be wearing them either."  Ron reminded.

"But you're not in Azkaban."  Hermione countered.

"Look, I just don't dance."  Ron said.

"So come down to have fun, you know we can just talk and listen to music."  Hermione said.

"I'm not going to make an appearance, when I scare everybody in sight."  Ron said.

"Am I nobody then?"  Hermione asked.  "Because contrary to what you believe, I'm not afraid of you."

"That's because you know me."  Ron said.

"So you're going to satisfy the majority of people, who don't know you, rather than satisfy the few people who matter?"  Hermione asked raising her eyebrow.

"Don't look at me like that.  This isn't about satisfying anybody.  This has nothing to do with you or the majority of the school.  It's just… I won't enjoy myself, and I have more than enough work to keep me busy."  Ron said.

"Fine."  Hermione said annoyingly.  She picked up her quill and returned to her work.

"Why does it bother you that I'm not going?"  Ron asked.

"It doesn't."  Hermione said.

Ron thought of the argument they had the year before.  She had wanted him to ask her first, and not as a last resort.  Was she mad that he hadn't asked her?  Did she want to go with him?  Ron thought of their kiss and sighed.

"Hermione, if I were to go, I'd have asked you to go with me.  It's just… I have so much work and not enough hours.  In Azkaban the hours seemed like days, but here they tick by like seconds."  Ron said.

"Ron, I don't care.  And if you need to catch up so quickly, you'd stop talking to me and get busy writing."  Hermione said snappishly.

And Ron did just that.  He began to copy Hermione's notes.

The night of the Yule Ball came.  Ron watched as everybody who hadn't gone home, and who was of age left the portrait hole wearing colorful dress robes, everybody looking their best.

Fred, who was wearing robes of sea green, and George wearing teal robes, were waiting for Angelina and Alicia to join them at the entrance to the portrait hole.  They seemed to be the only ones lingering.

Finally Angelina wearing rose colored robes, and Alicia wearing lavender colored robes accompanied the twins out of the Gryffindor Common Room.

After an hour of trying to concentrate and failing miserably, Ron put away his books and dressed in his navy blue dress robes, which Fred and George had bought him.

The first person that he noticed as he entered the Great Hall was Ginny in robes of baby blue dancing with Colin Creevey.  His first instinct was to beat the crap out of Colin for going near his little sister, but she was happy, and Colin was better than Draco, Colin was a wimp, and he had let Ginny stay with his family when she needed too.  He also didn't kill Colin, because he was already in enough trouble.

Ron finally took his eyes off his little sister.  One of these days he was going to have to realize that she wasn't five years old.

Ron spotted Harry dancing with Cho Chang.  He was dancing well enough, but he looked as if he were uncomfortable talking to Cho, and Ron couldn't help but laugh as his friend's eyes would keep darting everywhere from Cho to everywhere and back to Cho again.  Ron then spotted Hermione looking strikingly beautiful in her robes of periwinkle, as she danced with Dean Thomas.

Neville was dancing with some pretty Hufflepuff girl, and Seamus was dancing with Parvati.  Ron looked around, and to his surprise, he was tapped on the shoulder by the one person he was looking for.

"I thought you said you weren't coming."  Padma said.

"I changed my mind."  Ron said.

"Care to dance?"  Padma asked.  "Or are we going to sit the whole time, like last year?"

"You didn't sit the whole time last year, you went off with those boys from Beauxbatons, as I recall."  Ron said.

"You watched me?"  Padma asked surprised.  She seemed almost flattered.

"Yea."  Ron lied.  He had been too busy watching Hermione when Padma went off.  "So, let's dance, shall we?"

Ron and Padma danced, and to Padma's surprise, Ron could dance without stepping on her toes.

"So I heard you're responsible for Professor Snape's face."  Padma said.

"His parents are the one who gave him that face.  I'm not responsible for that."  Ron said.

"So you didn't give him that bruise?"  Padma asked.

"My cauldron slipped when he was helping Crabbe and Goyle up."  Ron lied, unable to suppress his grin.

Ron watched as Padma danced with Roger Davies, the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain.  He had taken a break from dancing to get a drink.  Ron was drinking punch and looking around the floor.  Everybody was dancing around Fred and Angelina, and George and Alicia, as they were dancing quite crazily.  Ginny was talking in a corner with Colin Creevey.  Harry and Cho were drinking punch while catching their breaths and talking.

A tap on his shoulder interrupted him from looking for somebody.  To his surprise, the one person he was looking for was the one who tapped his shoulder.

"Hey, you came."  Hermione said happily.

"So I did."  Ron said suddenly feeling a bit awkward.

A slow song started up, and everybody moved back on to the dance floor with their partners.  Fred, Angelina, Alicia, and George were dancing a bit less exuberantly.

Ron looked around.  "Do you want to dance?"  Ron asked.

"Sure."  Hermione said.

"With me?"  Ron asked.

"No, I was thinking Harry."  Hermione said rolling her eyes as she took his hand pulling him on the dance floor.

Ron put his hands lightly on Hermione's waist and she put her hands on his shoulders.  Ron looked down at his feet for the first few steps before looking up at Hermione who was smiling uneasily at him.

"You look er… nice."  Ron said awkwardly.

"You do too."  Hermione said blushing and looking down.  "This is a bit awkward isn't it?"

"Just a little."  Ron said.  "But can you imagine what everybody else is going through?  Being so close to somebody they just met or saw and asked to the dance?  We're lucky we're friends."

"I agree."  Hermione said.  "But I think it's more awkward for us, friends, being so close to each other."

"It's really not as awkward now that we're talking.  My worst fear right now is stepping on your foot, because then you'd go on about it for an hour."  Ron said.

"I would not!"  Hermione laughed slapping his shoulder lightly.

"Fine you might not carry on about it, but you might hit me."  Ron said.

"You are a big baby, do you know that?"  Hermione asked rolling her eyes exasperatingly.

"And you love me, so stop complaining."  Ron said sarcastically.

Hermione laughed and then gasped.

"When did this happen?"  Hermione asked noticing that they were so close now they were almost touching each other.

"When you forgot about the awkwardness and hit me."  Ron said looking down guiltily.  "Are you uncomfortable, because I'll move back a bit."

"No, it's fine.  It's just everybody else isn't as close.  We'll look awkward."  Hermione said.

"And you care because?"  Ron asked.  "You'd rather satisfy the majority of people who only know your name, rather than satisfy one of your closest friends?  Isn't that what you said to me when you tried convincing me to come here?  You know you can be quite the little hypocrite."

Hermione gave Ron a warning glare.

"Don't hurt me."  Ron said quickly.

"Baby."  Hermione muttered.

"What was that sweetie?"  Ron asked.

Hermione smacked him.

"I called you a baby, I wasn't calling you baby!"  Hermione said.

Ron laughed at this and pulled her even closer so that their bodies were now touching.  Ron had his arms wrapped around Hermione's waist and Hermione had her arms stretched around Ron's neck.  Hermione awkwardly leaned her head against Ron's chest.

"Oh George look at that!"  Fred said loudly when the song had ended.

"Aww aren't they adorable?"  Angelina asked.

"Oh my God."  Ron whispered pulling away quickly.

Neither Ron nor Hermione had realized the song ended.

Ron walked over to get another glass of punch and he caught Harry looking surprised and very amused in his direction.

"How disgusting, dancing with a mudblood… you're truly a disgrace to the wizarding world Weasley!"  Malfoy said.

"You say that word again and your face will be a huge disgrace to the human species."  Ron said coolly.  "If it isn't already."

"Which word?  Granger or mudblood?  Mudblood describes a dirty blooded excuse for a witch or a wizard.  Granger's the example of one."  Malfoy said with his eyes flashing maliciously.

BAM!

Malfoy hit the wall hard.  There was the loud sound of glass hitting the floor and shattering into pieces.  Girls unsure of what happened, screamed in fright.  Everybody else went silent and looked to see the punch bowl shattered and Malfoy clutching his head as he leaned against the wall.

The closest, and only other person by the snack table was Ron who was too shocked at his own temper to say or do anything.  He hadn't even taken out his wand.  He hadn't even turned or blinked.  He had just lost it.

Even if though he had wanted to, he'd never have done this had he had complete control of himself.  He was already being given a huge break as it was.  He didn't need another fight, not now, especially not now, in front of everybody including the Minister of Magic.

"Mr. Weasley, come with me please."  Fudge said loudly over the silence as he got up and started walking towards him.

Ron finally regained the feelings in his legs and made them work as he walked toward the Minister who with a wave of his hand had indicated that Ron should go out into the entrance hall.

Ron heard the music start up again along with many of the students loud, excited voices as he waited for the Minister in the Entrance Hall.

The Minister soon met him.

"Mr. Weasley, Professor Dumbledore's given you more than enough chances, as have I.  This is one fight too many, and therefore, you will grab a cloak and follow me to Hogsmeade."  Fudge said.

"Why Hogsmeade?"  Ron asked suspiciously.

"The Knight Bus can't come on to Hogwarts grounds."  Fudge said.

Ron started shaking his head.  "Why would I have to go on the Knight Bus?"  Ron asked knowing the answer.

"Mr. Weasley, I let you out of Azkaban to give you a second chance."  Fudge said.

"What the Hell?  You let me out of Azkaban, because you had to!  You can't put an innocent person in there!"  Ron yelled angrily.  "And you're not putting me back in there!"

"But your actions tonight were hardly innocent!  You're a danger to this school and it's students, and you'll be taken to Azkaban until you learn your lesson!"  Fudge said.

"You can't be serious!  I lost my temper!  I didn't even use my wand!"  Ron said.

"Which means you're dangerous without your wand.  I'd hate to think what would happen if you had taken out your wand."  Fudge said.

"I'm not going to remember what lesson I'm supposed to be learning if you send me back there!  And you can't send me back there!  I didn't kill anybody, and I didn't curse anybody with unforgivable curses.  All I did is lose my temper with somebody who insulted my friend.  You can't send me to Azkaban!  I didn't kill my father, I proved that, and you know it!  You're using the fact that you don't believe me against me, and supporting it with my actions tonight and any other time Malfoy's started something.  You can't send me back to Azkaban!  Have Dumbledore expel me if you're worried about the school!"  Ron yelled.

"And have me worrying about all of the Wizards in Britain?  I'm not stupid!"  Fudge said.

"You're doing a pretty good job of it.  And underage wizards can't perform magic outside of school!  Besides, if you kick me out, I live with my Grandfather who lives in Ireland.  You aren't the Minister there!  They'd be the ones in charge."  Ron said.

"And if you get in trouble over there, they'll think that I'm a terrible Minister!"  Fudge said.

"They already know that without me getting in trouble!"  Ron said.

"Go get your cloak," Fudge said impatiently.

"I'm not going back there!"  Ron said firmly.

"I'll show you how wrong you are."  Fudge said.  With a quick wave of his wand snakelike cords shot out of the end and wrapped themselves around Ron's wrist and the banister of the stairs.

Fudge left swiftly for the Great Hall as Ron struggled against his restraints.

It was less than five minutes before the doors to the Great Hall opened again and Fudge came back out, but this time he brought Hagrid, who was looking uncertain, with him.  Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape followed, though it appeared Fudge didn't want them to come.

"Let me loose!"  Ron yelled to Fudge, then seeing Dumbledore his yells became desperate.  "Professor Dumbledore, expel me!  I don't care anymore.  Don't let him bring me back to Azkaban!  I messed up, so have me expelled!  Don't let him send me back to Azkaban!" 

"Yeh can't send Ron back jus' fer fightin'!"  Hagrid boomed.

"I can and I am having him sent."  Fudge said.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!  WHAT IN THE BLEEDING HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?"  Ron cried angrily.

"Hagrid, please bring him up to his dormitory and have him grab his robes and a cloak."  Fudge said.

"I can't do that sir."  Hagrid said.

"Yes you can and you will, you have an order from the Minister of Magic!"  Fudge cried.

"No offense sir, but I don't work for the Ministry, I work for Professor Dumbledore."  Hagrid said.

"Dumbledore, have Hagrid bring this boy up to his dorm to retrieve his things."  Fudge said.

"I don't work for the Ministry either, Cornelius, and Hagrid won't be retrieving Mr. Weasley's things."  Professor Dumbledore said.

"Fine, then when the reporters from the _Daily Prophet _complain about his poor health conditions, you and Hagrid will be to blame."  Fudge said waving his wand at the strings.

The snakelike cords unwove themselves from the banister andflew back to the end of Fudge's wand.

"Untie my hands!"  Ron said angrily.

"No.  Start walking."  Fudge said sharply.

"I'm not walking anywhere that will bring me to Azkaban!"  Ron cried angrily.

"Fine."  Fudge said.  "_Mobilicorpus!_"  Ron was lifted off the floor.  "Dumbledore, we'll talk about this later, I promise you that, and in the meantime it wouldn't be a terrible idea to start packing."

With that said Fudge left making Ron move magically with his wand.

Professor Dumbledore ran after him very quickly for an old man.  Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Hagrid followed.

"You can't bring him to Azkaban!"  Professor Dumbledore said.

"Don't argue with me Dumbledore."  Fudge said sharply.  "He's a danger to the school.  You can't suspend him and you can't expel him because his mother doesn't want him, and his grandfather can only take him in during the summer.  So what can you do?  He can't roam the streets of Britain.  He'd be a danger to any muggle or magical person!  Therefore, to keep him out of trouble and to teach him a lesson he'll be spending a week in Azkaban.  He'll be back on the second in time for the new term.  And you leaving your school unattended will be mentioned in your trial."

"The school has been left supervised by the other Professors of the school, and if I should have to leave Hogwarts, I should have to aim for a new job, perhaps yours."  Dumbledore said threateningly.

"Get back to the castle then!"  Fudge snapped and left Hogwarts Grounds.

Hermione waited anxiously by the doors of the Entrance Hall.  Professor Dumbledore certainly wouldn't let Fudge take Ron back there.

But Professor Dumbledore returned with the other Professors who were all looking disturbed.

"Professor Dumbledore, please tell me the Minister didn't take Ron to Azkaban.  He can't, can he?"  Hermione asked.

"He can't, but because he's the Minister he thinks he can, and unfortunately that's what he's doing."  Professor Dumbledore said gravely.

Hermione kicked the bottom stair angrily and ran up to Gryffindor tower angrily, the entire time cursing Fudge's name under her breath.

"Merry Christmas Ron."  Hermione sobbed as she hit her pillow.  She cried herself to sleep.

Author's Note:  I'm not trying to be repetitive, but I couldn't help it.  In my mind during this story I feel that Fudge hates Ron and still believes him guilty and is trying to prove him guilty and punish him for making a fool of him.  Another chapter is coming soon.  Thanks for reading!  I hope you enjoyed it so far, and if you haven't, I'm sorry to have wasted your time.  ~*Carey*~


	14. Confessions

**Misunderstood**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Confessions**

**Disclaimer:  I own nothing but the plot to this story.  Any characters you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic, and all them people.**

**Author's Note:  Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews I've received after continuing this story.  I didn't know you would all like my story so much!  Thanks so much for your reviews I really appreciate them!  Enjoy!  ~*Carey*~**

**            Ron kicked angrily at the bars of his cell in Azkaban.  "LET ME OUT!"  Ron yelled punching the wall with all the strength he could muster.  Ron was so angry that he couldn't feel the pain in his knuckles.**

**The dementors wouldn't bother him, they weren't allowed to, but that didn't necessarily mean that they wouldn't suck out a lot of his happiness when they were to check on him every hour, as Fudge had ordered.**

**Ron knew that the dementors would come to his cell and stay there sucking out every good thing he could remember the minute Fudge had left.  As it was, Fudge was still there, checking on the other prisoners.**

**"Let me out right now!"  Ron yelled angrily as he kicked the bars of his cell again when Fudge stopped by.**

**"You listen here!"  Fudge snapped.  "The dementors aren't to go near you unless they're checking on you or giving you your meals.  It's either this or they can be here around the clock with the exception of mealtimes, like last time."**

**"It's going to be like last time anyway!  They don't give a damn about what you want!  They're going to do what they want, and they're going to be coming to me, because I'm somewhat saner than the other prisoners and I have _some_ good memories for them to suck out of me!  YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"  Ron said angrily.**

**Ron was shaken out of his madness.  "Ron, son, wake up."  It came from a voice Ron missed so much, but it couldn't be real, could it?**

**Ron opened his eyes and saw his father's weary and smiling face looking at him with much concern.**

**Tears fell down Ron's face.  "Dad?"  Ron cried throatily.**

**Mr. Weasley nodded.**

**"But how?"  Ron asked in a whisper.  "I had the worst nightmare, and you were dead, and I was in Azkaban, and…"**

**Ron looked around him.  Ron was in a very cold cell in Azkaban.**

**"And I still am in Azkaban… how are you still alive?"  Ron asked.**

**"I'm not."  Mr. Weasley said.**

**"Then how am I talking to you?"  Ron asked.**

**"You could keep talking to me, and the nightmare could end if…" Mr. Weasley paused.**

**"If what?"  Ron breathed.**

**"If you tell Mr. Malfoy who Harry's secret keeper is.  I know what you're thinking… but I would never lie to you, nor would I ever steer you wrong.  Malfoy's turned spy for our side, and he happens to know that somebody who keeps Harry safe on the holidays, is working for Voldemort, but he can't see the person from behind the masks that they have to wear.  Tell him, so he can prevent Harry's death.  The killing or imprisonment of this person will bring me back to life, and then I can get you out of here."  Mr. Weasley said urgently.**

**Ron curled himself up into a ball.**

**"You're not my father."  Ron whispered.**

**"Ron, I know you can't believe me, but you must!"  Mr. Weasley said.**

**"My dad would never say You-know-who's name, dead or alive, and if Malfoy has turned spy for our side, Dumbledore's on our side, and he could go to him on the information that he thinks Harry's secret-keeper is a death eater.  Get away from me."  Ron cried.**

**"Ron, please son…" Mr. Weasley cried.**

**"Fine."  Ron cried.  "Fine.  I'll do it.  I'll tell."**

**"I'll see you soon."  Mr. Weasley said as he left the cell of Azkaban.**

**Ron looked up as tears fell down his eyes.  He was expecting to see the sky, but no he still saw the brick ceiling of his cell.  Ron imagined how the sky outside Azkaban looked right now.  It was probably gray, very cloudy, with stormy weather.  Ron didn't know what time it was, but that didn't matter.  That's how he imagined the sky outside his prison at any time.  He was in a new cell that didn't have a barred window or any windows, so he could never know.  There were only three brick walls and a cell door, which now was guarded by a dementor.**

**"Weasley," Lucious Malfoy hit Ron hard to bring him back to reality.**

**Ron looked up at Lucious with disgust.**

**"You used Polyjuice Potion to make me think you were my dad, didn't you?"  Ron asked.**

**"What are you talking about?"  Lucious asked.**

**"Tell the truth, or I won't tell you anything."  Ron said.**

**"And if I did this, and admitted to it, you'd tell me something?"  Lucious asked.**

**"I'll tell you the name of Harry's secret-keeper and where Harry stays during the holidays if you give me some answers."  Ron said seriously.**

**"All right.  Where does Harry live during the holidays?"  Lucious asked with his eyes flashing malevolently.**

**"No, see how this works is, I ask a question, and then you ask a question."  Ron said.  "Otherwise, you don't get any answers."**

**"Okay fine.  It was another death eater who came a bit ago under the influence of Polyjuice potion pretending to be your father."  Lucious said.**

**Ron looked as if he were waiting to hear more.**

**"Wormtail."  Lucious said.  "But you wouldn't know him."**

**"I know who he is."  Ron said.**

**"My turn."  Lucious said.**

**"No it's not.  I didn't ask anything yet.  You assumed that's what I wanted to know, but I asked that before I told you the rules.  It doesn't count.  Answer my next question, and I'll tell you anything you wanted to know about Harry, where he lives, who protects him, who he cares about so much that he'd run into a trap to save them."  Ron said.**

**"What's your question?"  Lucious asked.**

**"I want to know what happened that night at the burrow.  I want to know who was there, and who killed my father."  Ron said.**

**"I killed him.  Wormtail and I were sent to kill you, Harry Potter's best friend.  Voldemort said Potter would be so depressed he'd probably kill himself saving him the job.  That or he'd want to avenge your death by going after Voldemort himself.  This would make him walk right into Voldemort's hands, and then he'd be murdered.  Unfortunately, when Wormtail was checking to see that nobody was awake, your father woke up.  He went to chase the rat out of the house, and I heard this.  I summoned for your wand, and it reached me before your father did.  And I came up behind him and he assumed I was you.  He told you to go back to bed, it was only a rat, but then he turned around.  Before he could stun me, I killed him.  Then I had Wormtail put your wand back."  Lucious said.**

**"Was You-know-who pleased?"  Ron asked bitterly.**

**"I tore one of the closest and oldest wizarding families apart, and I placed you in Azkaban.  He was very happy indeed."  Lucious said.**

**Ron stood up and punched Lucious hard across the face.  He hadn't been expecting it, and fell against the bars of Ron's door hard.  **

**"GET OUT!"  Ron yelled angrily, trying to get a dementor's attention.  The dementors started coming, and Ron started hitting Lucious repetitively, so the dementors would remove him.**

**Ron felt something so cold and terrible pull him roughly off of Lucious.  Everything went dark.**

**Ron woke up after a familiar, soothing voice called him as hands shook him gently.  Ron opened his eyes seeing his mother.**

**"Mum?"  Ron asked disbelievingly.**

**Mrs. Weasley nodded as tears fell down her face.  **

**"Ron I am so, so sorry."**

**"No!  No, I'm not stupid!  I'm not falling for your tricks again!  Just leave me be!"  Ron yelled, remembering his dad under the Polyjuice potion.**

**"Ron, what are you screaming about?  Please, just give me a chance to apologize.  I don't deserve it, I know, but you don't deserve not to hear me say how sorry I am for everything!"  Mrs. Weasley said sobbing.**

**Ron looked at her with confusion.  Was this another of Voldemort's tricks or was it actually his mother?**

**"Do you honestly expect me to be so stupid?  You got me the first time.  It's not going to work this time!"  Ron yelled.**

**"Ron, I don't understand…" Mrs. Weasley cried.**

**"LEAVE ME ALONE!"  Ron yelled.**

**"Ron!"  Mrs. Weasley sobbed covering her mouth with horror written all over her face.**

**"GO AWAY!"  Ron screamed.**

**"Ron, I'm taking you home now."  Mrs. Weasley cried.**

**"I'm not going home with you!  I know it's one of your tricks!  Who are you Malfoy?  Wormtail?  Or some other death eater?"  Ron screamed.**

**"Ron, what are you talking about?  Did somebody come by here earlier or…" Mrs. Weasley cried in confusion.**

**"You're not my mother!  Don't treat me like I'm stupid!  I know you're not my mum, because she wouldn't take me home!  She lives with my Grandfather, and both of them hate me, so you lose.  I'm not going to answer anybody's questions!"  Ron cried angrily punching the wall in anger.**

**Mrs. Weasley screamed in fright.**

**"Ron!  Ron, please… don't!  Stop!"  Mrs. Weasley sobbed trying to reach for Ron's damaged hand.**

**"Don't touch me!"  Ron yelled.**

**"Look, I'll have Charlie come get you, but I don't want you to be here any longer!  I'm sorry for hurting you so badly!  You don't deserve this, and I don't deserve you, and I know that, and I'm sorry, but please at least let me get you out of here.  Charlie's waiting for us at the dock, you can go home with him, and I'll stay as far away as you need me to, but I want you to come home.  Please."  Mrs. Weasley sobbed.**

**"I want to go home."  Ron said as tears streamed down his face.  He was in a state of torment.  He couldn't be sure this was his mum, but if it was her… she was going to take him home.  What if it wasn't?  Ron wouldn't be able to handle it.  At least he'd be out of Azkaban, once at the dock, if Charlie wasn't waiting for him, he'd run.**

**"Then please come home."  Mrs. Weasley said.**

**Ron got up to his feet shakily.  He crossed the cell with two strides and found the way out of Azkaban with his mother only a few steps behind him.  She had tried to put her arm around him, had tried to comfort him, but he kept pulling away.  He wouldn't even accept his mother's cloak, despite the fact that he was freezing and very sick.**

**It was a very long ferry ride, but when they were reaching the docks, Ron smiled at the people awaiting him.**

**Ron practically jumped off the boat and ran to his older brothers.  He was in tears as he smiled at them.**

**Charlie picked his youngest brother slightly off the ground as he hugged him.**

**"Can't you ever stay out of trouble?"  Charlie cried.  **

**Ron laughed and was put back down on to the ground, but only until Bill took two steps over to him and hugged him just as tightly.**

**"You're freezing."  Bill said with concern.  Quickly he removed his cloak and held it out for Ron.**

**"No thank you, I'm fine."  Ron said.**

**"You're sick, I can hear it in your voice, and you're freezing.  I felt that when I hugged you."  Bill said.**

**"Let's get him home, then shall we?"  Mrs. Weasley asked.**

**Ron nodded but didn't say anything, nor did he look at his mother.**

**Bill and Charlie noticed this, but neither looked surprised.**

**Bill waved his wand for the Knight Bus, and Charlie pulled Ron out of the way as the bus landed crazily in their path.**

**The Knight bus took them home to the burrow.  Ron walked in silently.  He knew that his brothers and mother were watching him closely, wondering what he was thinking, but he didn't care.**

**Ron walked into the kitchen.**

**"Ask him if he's hungry."  Mrs. Weasley urged in a whisper.**

**"I am."  Ron said before Charlie or Bill could ask.**

**"Can I make you something to eat then?"  Mrs. Weasley asked.**

**"Please."  Ron said and he walked past his mum out of the kitchen and into the sitting room.**

**Bill and Charlie watched him in the sitting room.**

**"Do you know what time it is?"  Ron asked.**

**"About eight o'clock."  Bill answered.**

**"What day is it?"  Ron asked.**

**"The thirty-first."  Charlie answered.**

**"Fudge didn't want me released until the first or second."  Ron said looking at them suspiciously.**

**"Fudge had no right putting you in Azkaban.  As soon as we got an owl from Ginny that Fudge had taken you again, because of a location problem, we spoke to Fudge and after mum slapped him across the face, he changed his mind."  Bill said.**

**Ron nodded and went back into the kitchen.**

**"Why'd you leave your father?"  Ron asked.  He refused to think of his mother's father as his Grandfather.**

**"I shouldn't have been there to begin with."  Mrs. Weasley said.**

**"When did you realize that?"  Ron asked sitting down.**

**"When it was too late."  Mrs. Weasley said.**

**"It was never too late."  Ron said.  "You realized it and got away."**

**"I realized it right after your father was killed.  I knew you needed me, but I was scared.  I didn't know what I was to do or how I was to live without your father.  I thought my father was the only person who could take care of me, take care of us.  I was wrong of course.  I could've made it all this time without him, but I just couldn't leave him.  He would make me feel so guilty every time I tried to leave."  Mrs. Weasley said.**

**"Finally, I left.  I didn't need my father, but my children needed me.  I guess the little girl inside of me took over so that I had to depend on my father for comfort.  I neglected my children, and especially you.  I ignored you when you said my father hit you, because I didn't want to believe that the man who raised me so well, my father who I loved was hurting my youngest son.  My father's never lied to me growing up, and to think that he would lie to me- To think that he has been lying to me, is heartbreaking, and I ignored you and your father to believe him."  Mrs. Weasley said wiping the tears falling down her face away.**

**"Do you still believe him?"  Ron asked.**

**"I never did.  I couldn't believe him, but I did… But I don't."  Mrs. Weasley said trying to explain herself to Ron.  "I believe you, and I have always believed you, but my father manipulated me into needing him and I felt I couldn't leave him, because he was old and lonely, and without my mother, he's just been miserable.  I thought if I could do anything to help, by cooking, cleaning for him, or just being there for somebody who was always there for me growing up, that maybe I wouldn't feel so much guilt.  But then I would think about you kids, and my heart would break even more.  After your father- I couldn't leave my father after that.  I thought you only see me two months out of the year, I could help out with my father the rest of the year, but then Fudge had to arrest you and put you through so much, and when the truth came out, I couldn't stay with my father anymore.  I shouldn't have been there to begin with.  Ron- I messed up really, really bad.  You don't know how sorry I am, and maybe you'll never forgive me or understand me, but I am so very sorry."**

**Ron got up and walked over to his mother.  He hugged her tightly and cried as she returned his hug.**

**"Thank you!  Thank you!"  Ron sobbed on his mother's shoulder.  "I'm sorry for earlier.  It's just that Malfoy, Malfoy's dad, came to Azkaban, and one of the death eaters had used Polyjuice Potion to become dad… and I couldn't help but think he was real, and when he wasn't… I couldn't believe that it was really you!  I'm sorry mum!"  Ron sobbed.**

**"Don't apologize for that.  That wasn't your fault.  I wouldn't have believed me either."  Mrs. Weasley said.**

**"What did he want?"  Charlie asked.**

**Ron only now noticed Bill and Charlie were in the room.  He didn't let go of his mother though he just talked into her shoulder.**

**"One of the death eaters used Polyjuice Potion to pretend that they were dad, and I was half mad at the time, and I believed it was dad, but the stuff they were saying wasn't making sense.  He said to tell Malfoy who Harry's secret-keeper was, because he was working as a spy for our side, and Harry's secret-keeper was a death eater, and he needed to know who the secret-keeper was so he could stop that person from telling you-know-who where Harry stayed on the holidays, but if Malfoy really was a spy for our side, he could've gone to Dumbledore.  So after dad 'walked out' of Azkaban, Malfoy came in and asked, and I told him I'd tell him everything he'd need to know if he answered my question first.  I asked him what happened the night of dad's murder.  He said he and Wormtail, another death eater, came here to kill me, so that Harry would be really depressed and kill himself, saving You-know-who the job.  But when Wormtail, who's an Animagus, went to check that everybody was sleeping, dad woke up and chased him down the stairs.  Malfoy said he summoned for my wand and killed dad with it.  Then he made Wormtail put it back upstairs on my dresser so that I would be framed.  I started screaming and hitting him so the dementors removed him, and I didn't have to answer his questions."  Ron said.**

**"I knew it was him!"  Charlie said.**

**"I wanted dad to be alive again so badly!"  Ron sobbed.  "I miss him so much!  I think if I wouldn't have known better, I might've told them everything about Harry just to see dad again.  They said they'd be able to bring him back, and I want him to come back so badly.  It might've cost Harry's life… I'm so sorry!"  Ron sobbed.**

**Mrs. Weasley hugged Ron even tighter as he broke down.**

**Bill and Charlie walked over to their mum and youngest brother and tried comforting them both.  Mrs. Weasley was crying from guilt and crying because her youngest son was crying.  Ron was crying, as every bad feeling in the world seemed to be running through him.**

**"Ron, you don't have anything to be sorry for.  You didn't jeopardize Harry's life in the slightest!  You didn't!"  Bill said pulling up a chair and sitting down.**

**"You don't understand!"  Ron sobbed.  "I might've risked his life at the chance to have seen dad again!  If it were possible, I'd probably do it.  I hate myself for that!  I'm so sorry!  I'm a terrible friend!  I'm so sorry!"**

**"Ron!  Listen to me, listen to yourself… you might have… but you didn't.  If you had the chance, you might have done it, but you didn't do it, and you did have that chance, even though it weren't possible.  You didn't know what was possible when you were half mad!  And you're not a terrible friend.  You're a great friend Harry's lucky to have you there for him, not to mention you're a very brave, strong, and courageous little brother!  You think you're a terrible person, because you miss dad?  God knows we all miss dad, and I know I'd do just about anything to see him alive again.  The fact is, nothing can bring the dead back to life, but that doesn't mean they've left us completely.  Think of all the memories you've had with him."  Bill said.**

**"I can't!  I can't remember anything good anymore."  Ron sobbed uncontrollably.**

**"Try and remember the time when you and dad were here by yourselves.  You got to go to work with him everyday.  You got to spend a lot of time with him.  Perkins told me that you made dad laugh a lot and he was a bit happier with you at work with him."  Bill said quickly trying to make his brother remember.**

**"It was my fault mum didn't come home, if mum had been here…" Ron couldn't finish.**

**"No, no, sweetheart… that wasn't your fault!  That was mine!  Please don't think that was your fault!"  Mrs. Weasley said seriously.**

**"But it was…" Ron sobbed.  He let go of his mum and fell to his knees, crying into his hands.**

**Charlie helped him up and actually fought with Ron to get him upstairs to lie down.**

**"I can't believe all the damage I've caused."  Mrs. Weasley cried to Bill.**

**"You didn't cause all of it.  The dementors and Grandfather contributed to most of it."  Bill said.**

**"Ron should be hating me, but he's hating himself!"  Mrs. Weasley said.**

**"You know how you can't hate your father, even though you know he was wrong?"  Bill asked.  "Because you thought you needed him so much?" **

**Mrs. Weasley looked at Bill curiously.**

**"He can't hate you, even if he tried to, he just couldn't.  He needs you so badly.  He's been to Hell and back, and he's been wanting you to save him all along, even if the worst is over, even if he was fine, he wouldn't care that you weren't there when he needed you most, because you're here now, and he was probably thinking you'd never be there for him again.  He thought you hated him.  I mean the rest of the world hated him, and you didn't rescue him when he was giving up hope.  He couldn't help but think you hated him, but you're here now so he probably thinks this is like a second chance or a chance to make you forgive him.  He doesn't hate you.  He needs you more than anyone else right now, so there's no way he could hate you."  Bill said.**

**"How do I make him understand that it wasn't him, that it was me, who was wrong?"  Mrs. Weasley asked.**

**"I think Charlie's working on that as we speak."  Bill said.**

**"Does Charlie still hate me?"  Mrs. Weasley asked.**

**"No.  Charlie's never hated you.  He was upset with your actions."  Bill said.**

**"What about you?"  Mrs. Weasley asked.**

**"I never hated you.  I was upset that you weren't there for Ron, but you came around."  Bill said.**

**Charlie came downstairs looking exhausted.**

**"He's out.  He's hurting though."  Charlie said looking at his mother.**

**"We were actually discussing what I could do to help Ron.  Maybe you have a suggestion or two."  Mrs. Weasley said fearing his words.**

**"I can't tell you what to do.  I don't know what's going through his head besides terrible feelings and pain.  I tried explaining to him that he wasn't the one who was wrong, that it was you, Grandfather, and Fudge.  I don't mean to be mean towards you, but he needs to know the truth, that it was you and not him that's wrong.  If he doesn't realize it he'll hate himself, and he shouldn't have to do that."  Charlie said.**

**"I know."  Mrs. Weasley said.**

**"But he doesn't care that you're wrong.  He's just glad that you're here.  He's happy that you saved him.  He's thrilled that you'd defend him.  We told him how you slapped Fudge across the face when he wouldn't release him."  Charlie said.**

Their attention turned to the door as they heard a popping noise of somebody apparating outside.  

Percy let himself in looking exhausted.  He had moved back home to the burrow after Ron's innocence was proven, and after Mrs. Weasley moved back home.  He decided he wasn't ready to leave his family for his girlfriend yet.

"Hello."  Percy said pouring himself a cup of tea as he sat down.  He noticed Bill and Charlie looking at him.  "Did I miss something?"

"Oh just Ron, he completely broke down."  Charlie said.

"You got him out of Azkaban then?"  Percy asked hopefully.

"Of course."  Mrs. Weasley said.

"How long did you know he was in there, Percy?"  Bill asked.

"Since Fudge threw him back in there.  I wanted to get him out, honestly I did, but I couldn't afford to risk my job."  Percy said.

"You care more about your job than your brother?"  Charlie asked.

"No!  Look, it's just with dad gone, and mum leaving Grandfather, somebody needs to bring money into the house.  I'm thinking of the family."  Percy said.

"Well perhaps you'd like to know what our youngest brother went through, while you were working so hard for the family."  Charlie said.

"Percy, I appreciate your wanting to help, but I won't accept any money you earn from the Ministry.  I wish you'd leave that place.  After all the damage the Minister caused your brother and after everything that happened with your father…"

"Mum, don't be ridiculous!  The Ministry didn't have anything to do with dad's death!  May I remind you that dad's death and the framing of Ron could've been preventable if you hadn't left.  The Ministry apologized to Ron, but then Ron screwed up, and when he did you didn't want him!"  Percy said.

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW!"  Charlie yelled pulling out his wand threateningly.

"No, none of this would've happened if it hadn't been for Ron!"  Percy said.  "If Ron would've just behaved himself over Grandfather's, dad wouldn't have had to sacrifice his relationship with mum to take him home!  Then mum wouldn't have been at Grandfather's, and she'd be able to see who murdered dad and prevent Ron from going to Azkaban.  She could've even stopped dad from being murdered!"

"Percy, I could've stopped your dad from being murdered, and I could've stopped Ron from being framed, but I made a wrong decision and stayed with your Grandfather."  Mrs. Weasley said gently as Percy was trying hard to fight back tears.

"No you couldn't have."  Ron said taking them all by surprise.

"Go back to bed."  Charlie said.

"How much did you hear?"  Percy asked.

"Everything."  Ron said.

"I didn't mean what I said… I just needed somebody to blame."  Percy said quickly.

"Well you can't blame mum."  Ron said.

"Ron…" Charlie and Mrs. Weasley started at the same time, but Ron wouldn't let them continue.

"No.  Mum I told you what Malfoy told me, and I've been thinking a lot about it.  Maybe it was right that you stayed with Grandfather.  Maybe none of this would've happened, if I wouldn't have runaway, but everything happened anyway, and you can't be blamed."  Ron said.

"Ron, listen to me, I was wrong.  I admit it.  You should hate me and-"

"No, mum.  I told you that Lucious Malfoy told me that his instructions were to kill me, but instead dad woke up because of a death eater in an Animagus form, so he decided to kill him and frame me.  If you had been here instead of Grandfather's, you wouldn't have been able to stop dad from being murdered.  After dad had been murdered you might've been able to stun or kill Malfoy, but the death eater that was an Animagus would've gone unnoticed, and you would've tried to get me out of there, but by the time I woke up, the Animagus would've killed you, and he would've gotten Malfoy out of there, causing me to be framed for both your and dad's deaths.  I can't handle life without dad as it is, life without you too, would've killed me, and I probably wouldn't have been out of Azkaban, so maybe it was fate that you stayed with Grandfather."  Ron said.

Mrs. Weasley embraced Ron tightly as she cried.

"I don't hate you or blame you for anything.  I've been mad at you at times, but that didn't help me.  You let me back in your life, and you're here for me now.  So I can't be anything but grateful and happy.  I'm happy that you've taken me back, but I just can't be happy in general when everything else is a mess."  Ron explained.

"We'll work on everything else then."  Mrs. Weasley said.

"Sounds good."  Ron said with an old smile.

Author's Note:  This isn't the end of the story.  I thought about ending it here as well, but I still want to get Ron back to Hogwarts and I want to write about Sirius' trial.  Expect another chapter soon.  Thanks for reading and hopefully reviewing!  ~*Carey*~ 


	15. Normality For Ron Anyway

**Misunderstood**

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Normality (For Ron Anyway)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot to this story.  Any characters you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic, and all them people.**

**Author's Note: I'm very sorry for the long delay in posting.  I apologize sincerely for not getting this up sooner, but here's the next chapter.  I hope you enjoy!  Thanks so much for the reviews!  I really, really appreciate them.  ~*Carey*~**

            Ron pulled on his new maroon sweater that his mother had just given him.  She had still made a sweater for him for Christmas, after all.  Ron had always taken the sweaters his mother made every Christmas for granted, hated them, and complained about them, but because he didn't think he would be getting one for Christmas had greatly appreciated it this year.  His mother had still taken the time to make him his sweater, and after he thought she had hated him, so Ron knew that his mother still loved him.

            Ron went downstairs to breakfast where his mother was cooking.  She turned around once she heard him enter the kitchen.  She smiled happily seeing Ron wearing the sweater she had made him.  She knew he had liked his sweaters the least of all his presents, but he still wore it, and he didn't have to.  She didn't expect him to anyway.  All of his other laundry was clean, and she told him that he didn't have to wear it, because she didn't deserve his respect after everything that happened, but still he wore it.

            Ron's maroon sweater… maroon was always the best color on Ron, Mrs. Weasley thought.  He never liked the color, but it was his color, that was certain.  Mrs. Weasley had made maroon colored sweaters for him since he was at least four.  Arthur had always said that Ron reminded him of his younger brother Roy, and Mrs. Weasley had seen many pictures of her late brother-in-law, and agreed that Ron looked very much like Roy, though she could see more of Arthur in him, and maroon looked best on Roy, as it did Ron.  Ron might not ever see it, but he looked very handsome in maroon.

            "That sweater looks good on you."  Mrs. Weasley said happily.

            "It fits good too, and it's comfortable and warm.  Thank you."  Ron said hugging his mother gratefully.

            "Sweetheart, your more than welcome."  Mrs. Weasley said.  She pulled away from him and handed him his plate of breakfast.

            Ron grinned gratefully and took his seat to eat.

            Percy apparated downstairs and entered the kitchen.  "Good morning mother.  Good morning Ron, how are you today?"  Percy asked.

            "Better thanks."  Ron said happily.

            "This month's big for me at the Ministry."  Percy said happily.

            "I hate the Ministry.  I hate anybody who works for Fudge, except you of course, because I can't hate you.  I wish you wouldn't work there, though."  Ron said taking a bite of bacon.

            "I think you'll change your mind once you find out what I've been promoted to."  Percy said smiling.

            "If you've replaced Fudge I might consider changing my mind."  Ron said.

            "Well, I'm not Minister, and I don't think Fudge is ready to leave yet, though I know you'll be glad about my position when you find out."  Percy said.

            "So are you going to tell me anytime soon?"  Ron asked.

            "Nope, it's a surprise.  Just remember, the one thing I've always been good at will do some good for once."  Percy said.

            "Which one thing are you talking about?  You're great at everything!  You're great at assignments, reading, writing…. You're great at following rules… You're great at almost everything except Quidditch, and you're probably great at that too, but you were always studying or working too much for me to see."  Ron said.

            Percy looked surprised at his brother.  He hadn't expected Ron to give him credit to everything he was good at.  It was almost as if Ron was complimenting him.

            "No, Percy will be the only one of us to never touch a broomstick unless it's to sweep with."  Charlie yawned entering the kitchen and smirking at Percy.  He looked at Ron and added, "Nice sweater."

            "Thanks."  Ron said.

            "So do you go back to school today?"  Charlie asked.

            "Tomorrow morning."  Ron said.

            "Are you going to be all right going back?"  Percy asked concernedly.

            "Yes, as long as I can control my temper and stay out of trouble, I reckon I will be all right."  Ron said.

            "Malfoy's trouble, just don't let him get to you.  I know he's prejudice against Hermione, and to be honest with you I don't disagree with your actions, not that I would ever do that, but the point is Hermione's a smart girl.  She can take care of herself."  Percy said.

            "I know, but I didn't mean to explode like I did… I mean I knew I was in trouble, and I didn't need anymore.  Flipping out at another student in front of the Minister wasn't a smart idea, but I just lost it.  I couldn't help it."  Ron said.

            "I'm not mad at you!"  Percy said quickly.  "I was just giving you advice to not to sink to their level.  Are you going to be all right with everybody else though?"

            "Harry, Hermione, and I are all okay now, so as long as we're on good terms, I don't see a problem."  Ron said.

            Ron arrived at Hogwarts the next morning before classes started.  Ron walked up to the gargoyle statue that was in front of the passageway to Dumbledore's office and guessed many different sweets for the password, finally guessing the right one.  The gargoyle leapt aside allowing Ron up the spiral staircase to Professor Dumbledore's door.  Ron knocked.

            After a few seconds, the door opened and Professor Dumbledore was standing, as was Lucious Malfoy.  Ron cowered a bit seeing the Death Eater, after tricking him.  He was right to do so, as Lucious was looking daggers at him.

            "Well, I'll be speaking to you later Professor."  Lucious hissed, and he left not taking his eyes off of Ron until he was out the door.

            "Good morning Mr. Weasley, what may I do for you?"  Professor Dumbledore asked.

            "I was just making sure I was allowed back."  Ron said looking out of the corner of his eye to see that Mr. Malfoy had left.

            "Mr. Weasley, I remember telling you that under no circumstance, should you feel that you're not allowed to learn here."  Professor Dumbledore said.

            "Yes sir, but I remember the time you also said that even the best of you must sometimes eat your words."  Ron said nervously.

            "Yes, but not in this case."  Professor Dumbledore said.

            "Thank you Professor."  Ron said gratefully.

            Professor Dumbledore nodded.

            Ron arrived in the Transfiguration classroom before the rest of his classmates.  He took a seat in the back and waited for everybody to come in.  He braced himself for Malfoy's taunts.

            Everybody entered, and Harry noticed Ron before anybody else.  He took a seat next to him, and Hermione took a seat next to Neville at a table in front of them, though she did look eager to speak to him.

            Malfoy sat down, but just as he went to open his mouth, to tease Ron no doubt, Professor McGonagall entered and went straight to the board, where she began to write the day's notes down that they were to copy.

            "Are you all right?"  Harry asked in a whisper.  He was looking very concerned.

            "Yea, I'm fine."  Ron said with a smile.

            "Are you sure?"  Harry asked.

            "Yea, my mum came and got me out of Azkaban, before Fudge wanted.  She slapped him across the face, and he let me out."  Ron said happily.

            "But I thought-" Harry was going to explain what he had heard from Sirius, but was cut short by Professor McGonagall.

            "All right, the notes are on the board, and- Mr. Weasley, are you sure your all right to be back so soon?"  Professor McGonagall asked.

            "Professor Dumbledore didn't have any objections.  Do you want me to go get a pass or something?  I mean I was on time, but if I'm not supposed to be here, I'll go get a pass from Professor Dumbledore."  Ron said embarrassed at having attention drawn to him.

            "No, if the Headmaster knows, then… Copy your notes, and we'll get on with the lesson."  Professor McGonagall said.

            Ron's first day back had gone a bit smoother than he had expected it to, but wasn't surprised when it was much rougher in Potions.

            Ron was cutting up his ingredients as he was instructed to, when Malfoy had to start.

            "So Weasley, how was Azkaban the second time around?  Did the dementors miss you?"  Malfoy asked.

            "No, but I can see you did.  Who did you pick on the week I was gone?"  Ron asked.

            "Please, I was too busy dealing with your sister to bother anybody."  Malfoy said.

            "Do you want me to flip your table again?  I mean do you like crying like a little baby?"  Ron asked without looking up.

            "Weasley, that's ten points from Gryffindor.  There is no talking in my classroom."  Professor Snape said.

            "All right."  Ron said.

            "That's fifteen points, I just said no talking."  Professor Snape said.

            "And I said all right."  Ron said.

            "Exactly, stop talking!  That's twenty points from Gryffindor."  Professor Snape said with his eyes flashing maliciously.

            "That's all right, you were going to take them away anyway."  Ron muttered.

            "Weasley, shut your mouth!"  Professor Snape snapped.

            "I wasn't even talking to you."  Ron said rolling his eyes.

            "I said no talking!  That's now forty points!"  Professor Snape said.

            Ron didn't say anything, but Harry could see he was ready to bust out with laughter.  Surprisingly, he controlled himself and concentrated on his potion.

            "So, what's the story with your fat mum?  Did she take you back?  Is that why you're not still peeing your pants?  I heard she got some sense and left you and your dad for her rich father."  Malfoy said.

            "That's nice of you to be so concerned of _my_ mum, but don't you think you ought to be worrying about your own?"  Ron asked in a mischievous tone.

            Harry could see a grin spreading slowly across Ron's face, and it wasn't the old familiar grin Harry knew, it sort of resembled the twins' grins when they were up to something.

            "What are you on about?"  Malfoy asked, suddenly serious.

            "Oh nothing, it's just you know how there's death eaters in Azkaban?"  Ron asked.

            "Spit it out Weasley."  Malfoy said dangerously.

            "Well they say things when the dementors go away.  It seems they miss your mother.  Apparently she's slept with all of them, I bet even Snape got with her.  It's no wonder he's nice to you… I bet he was awfully friendly with your mother.  And you go on about my sister getting around… at least she's not supposed to be married to anybody… What does your dad say about that?  Or doesn't he know?"  Ron whispered wickedly.

            Harry quickly tore his gaze from Ron and Draco to look behind him.  Dean and Seamus were covering their mouths with disbelief, and trying not to laugh, but Harry could see that like himself, they were also scared for Ron.

            Malfoy pushed his chair back loudly as he got up.  He was looking daggers at Ron.  He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Ron.

            "You take that back, or I swear… I will kill you!"  Malfoy said dangerously.

            "Well, I'm not taking it back, so I guess you have to do what you have to do."  Ron said smirking at Malfoy as he leaned back making himself comfortable in his chair.  Harry looked at Ron incredulously.  Ron's wand was in his pocket, and if Malfoy were to try anything, Ron wouldn't be able to pull his wand out in time!

            "Ron, apologize…" Harry whispered urgently.

            "I'm not going to apologize.  If his dad can't keep his mother happy, somebody has too… and it's not as if it were me, therefore I have nothing to apologize for.  Sometimes, people just have to come to grips with reality.  Truth hurts, doesn't it Malfoy?"  Ron asked raising his eyebrows.

            "Mr. Malfoy sit down now!"  Professor Snape said lazily from the front of the classroom.

            "Ron, seriously… apologize!"  Harry cried.

            "No, because not only do I have nothing to be sorry for, but because Malfoy's not going to do anything.  He doesn't have the guts to kill.  It's just another one of his threats, which by definition are empty promises.  And if he were to kill me, or try to, he would've done it by now.  He's just trying to get Snape to come up here."  Ron said.

            "I swear, Weasley, if you don't apologize to me, right now…" Malfoy said under his breath with anger and hurt in his eyes.

            "I won't apologize to a ferret."  Ron said.

            "AVADA KEDAV-"

            "EXPELLIARMUS!"  Professor Snape yelled causing Malfoy's wand to fly into his hands with a green flash of light.

            Professor Snape looked disbelievingly at Malfoy.  If Malfoy had pronounced the whole spell, there was no doubt in Snape's mind that he would've killed Ron.

            Everybody was silent and staring in shock.  Even Harry was pale.  Ron was quiet but he seemed untroubled by it all.

            "Mr. Malfoy, Weasley…" Snape pointed to the door.  "Go wait in the hall for me.  _Expelliarmus!_" Snape cried and Ron's wand flew out of his pocket into his hands.

            Ron picked up his bag and left the classroom smirking with his eyebrows raised when he passed Draco.

            "I need to take care of this, therefore you will finish your potions in silence…" Professor Snape said, and then he looked meaningfully at Crabbe and Goyle.  "Should there be anymore fighting, while I'm taking care of them, all of you will be serving detention by digging up Gillyweed from the freezing lake.  None of you are to leave this classroom until I return, and Ms. Granger, should Mr. Longbottom screw his potion up, as I don't doubt he will, you'll be held responsible."

            Professor Snape pushed Malfoy out of the dungeon door.

            "Mr. Malfoy, I don't think even I can get you out of this mess."  Professor Snape said.

            Ron had already gone ahead to Dumbledore's office.

            At the gargoyle statue, Professor Snape gave the password and they entered Professor Dumbledore's office.

            Ron was already there, though he wasn't talking, he was fidgeting nervously with his fingers, and he was looking out the window.

            "Ah, Professor Snape, and Mr. Malfoy, what brings you two here?  As I was told, you sent Mr. Weasley here, but he has yet to tell me why."  Professor Dumbledore said.

            "I disrupted the Potions lesson, and I think he's going to kick me out.  He even brought Malfoy as a witness to prove my outburst and he can tell you as well as anybody else, why I should not be in this school."  Ron said.

            Professor Snape looked at Ron suspiciously.  Malfoy, who had entered the Headmaster's office looking angry, was now looking dumbfounded but also suspicious.

            "Is this true?"  Professor Dumbledore asked Professor Snape.

            "Why does everybody think I'm a liar?"  Ron muttered.

            Professor Snape looked at Malfoy for a moment.

            "Yes, I can't teach a Potions lesson with Mr. Weasley making comments every five seconds.  It not only disrupts the other students, it disrupts me.  I can't teach him in my classroom, therefore I don't see any other way than to expel him."  Professor Snape said.

            "Professor, you know very well that making comments every five seconds is not an excuse to expel a student, and I already made my decision not to expel Mr. Weasley.  If I had wanted Mr. Weasley expelled, he would've been gone when he threw a cauldron at your face, yet he is still here, and will remain a student at Hogwarts.  However, I know of a witch who is in need of a job, and is willing to catch Mr. Weasley up on his assignments as well as teach him Potions if you want him out of your classroom."  Professor Dumbledore said.

            "Who?"  Professor Snape asked.

            Ron gave an odd cough that sounded like, 'Your Girlfriend'.

            Professor Dumbledore seemed amuse by this, but nevertheless answered his question.

            "Ms. Watson."  Professor Dumbledore said.

            Ron did notice the weird look on Professor Snape's face.  Perhaps, Professor Snape did like her, or perhaps he was afraid of her.

            "Perhaps she could teach Mr. Potter too."  Professor Snape said.

            "I think she'll have her hands full with just Mr. Weasley."  Professor Dumbledore said.

            "Well as long as Mr. Weasley's not going to be disrupting my lessons anymore…" Professor Snape said.

            "Not until September at least."  Professor Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye.

            "Well then there's not anymore problems, or are there Mr. Weasley?"  Professor Snape asked.

            "Nope, I don't have you for a Professor anymore, I don't see any problems, at least not until September."  Ron said grinning.

            Ron stood up.  "Thank you Professor."  Ron said to Dumbledore and crossed the room leaving the Headmaster's office.

            Ron was starting off down the hall when Snape stopped him.

            "Weasley!"  Professor Snape called.

            Ron stopped and turned around to see Professor Snape and Malfoy walking quickly to catch up to him.

            "Why did you lie?"  Professor Snape asked.

            "Why didn't I tell Professor Dumbledore that I provoked Malfoy to try and kill me?  Because one, he didn't kill me, and two I would be in trouble, not Malfoy."  Ron said.  "I may act stupid, but I'm really not that dumb."

            "Really?  All you had to say was that he said the curse back there, Professor Dumbledore would've asked to check his wand, and it would've resulted in Mr. Malfoy's expulsion."  Professor Snape said.

            "He didn't complete the curse, you stopped him.  He didn't kill anybody.  But if Professor Dumbledore did expel him, he would've become a death eater like his father, and one of them would've gotten their revenge by killing one of the remaining members of my family.  I've got enough problems without losing another member of my family, so I lied to protect my mum, though I'm sure it won't matter anyway.  I lied for me, not Malfoy.  He doesn't owe me anything, I'm not going to blackmail him I'm not that low!"  Ron turned to Malfoy.  "However, I still refuse to apologize, although I was only joking."

            Ron turned to walk away.

            "Weasley!"  Snape called yet again.

            Ron turned around again.

            Professor Snape threw him his wand.  "I witnessed a verbal agreement that this situation was dropped.  You can no longer bring what happened in Potions up at any time."  Professor Snape said.

            "If I were going to speak about it, the only time it would matter was in Professor Dumbledore's office a few moments ago."  Ron said and he made his way to the Great Hall.

            "Are you mad?"  Dean asked Ron at dinner after overhearing Ron's conversation with Hermione.  "You could've had him expelled, and you didn't?"

            "Yea, but he proved he could kill me.  Expel him, and he'll get his revenge.  I already lost my dad because of a Malfoy.  My mum's at home all day by herself, cooking or cleaning.  She wouldn't hear anybody sneak in.  I'm not risking the lives of my family members for Malfoy to be expelled."  Ron said.

            "That's only because you don't have to be in Potions with him anymore."  Seamus joked.

            Harry entered the Great Hall, but he didn't sit down.  He got two plates of food; one for Sirius, and left the Great Hall, but not before giving meaningful looks at Ron and Hermione to follow him.

            Ron and Hermione finished their dinners quicker than they would've liked and followed Harry up to the Gryffindor common room where Sirius was.

            "What's going on?"  Ron asked.

            "We just found out who's doing the questioning at my trial."  Sirius said.

            Ron looked to Harry who looked nervous.  "Fudge?"  Ron asked praying that it wasn't him.

            "Percy."  Harry corrected.

            "Oh."  Ron said.  He remembered what Percy had said about his new job.  'Remember the one thing I'm good at.'  What was the one thing that Percy was good at that would have made Ron happy about his new position at the Ministry.  Listening…  Solving Problems… Putting pieces together in a puzzle…

            Ron smiled.  "You have nothing to worry about then."  Ron said confidently.  No wonder Ron would be happy about Percy's position.  Percy would be fair, and he would know the truth no matter what.  Sirius would be under the influence of a Veritaserum too, so there really wouldn't be a problem.

            "Ron, you know Percy… you know how he's kind of dedicated to the Ministry…" Harry said.

            "I know my brother.  Sirius won't have to worry about anything… well except how he's going to support you when he's free.  But the Ministry will probably give him a lot of money."  Ron said.

            Sirius smiled happily at that.

            "Don't get my hopes up."  Harry said.

            "Harry, trust me… A month ago, I would've told you not to, but I know Percy.  So you can start writing your farewells to the Dursley's."  Ron said.

            Harry bit his lip trying to suppress his grin.  "Ron, if you're right…"

            "I'm right."  Ron said grinning.

            "I hope so."  Harry said excitedly.  "Oh by the way, what did Dumbledore do to Malfoy?  Please tell me you milked it for all it's worth and got him expelled!"  Harry said.

            "No, listen to what this git did!"  Hermione said frustratingly.

            Ron raised his eyebrows at Hermione.

            "What did you do?"  Harry asked.

            "I lied… to protect my family."  Ron said.

            "Your mum has enough protection!"  Hermione cried.

            "Enough helped my dad a lot didn't it?"  Ron asked evenly.

            "I…" Hermione started.

            "Forget it."  Ron said.

            "What do you mean you lied?  You didn't at least get him suspended, a detention?"  Harry asked.

            "No, but I don't have Potions with Snape anymore.  His _nice_ girlfriend will be catching me up on all of my assignments and teaching me Potions."  Ron said.

            "Snape's got a girlfriend?  Who?"  Sirius asked with interest.

            "That Hit Witch I unintentionally got fired.  Diane Watson.  She needed a job, and Professor Dumbledore reckons she's smart enough to teach me."  Ron said.

            "Wait!  Snape's seeing Diane?"  Sirius asked incredulously.

            "Er… I don't think he's actually seeing her, but I know he likes her, because he becomes almost nice when she's around."  Ron said.

            "Well who wouldn't like her?"  Sirius asked.

            "Me for one.  She left me to the dementors the night before my trial."  Ron said.

            "Wait, we're getting off track, what happened in Dumbledore's office, how did you lie?"  Harry asked.

            "I told him that I had been disrupting Snape's class and he wanted to throw me out and brought Malfoy as a witness to my disruptiveness, and Snape just took it from there."  Ron said.

            "So you've got a lifelong favor from Malfoy."  Harry said.

            "No I don't, and I wouldn't want anything from him anyway.  He didn't complete the curse, I'm not dead, and there's nothing that would've gotten Malfoy expelled."  Ron said.

            "What curse?"  Sirius asked.

            "The killing curse, Malfoy tried to kill Ron in class.  He would've succeeded, but Snape disarmed him just seconds before… And the scary part is he could've killed him too, and it wasn't anything to Ron."  Hermione said.

            "I didn't think he had it in him."  Ron said rolling his eyes.

            "If he had tried it, Dumbledore would've thrown him out."  Sirius said seriously.

            "Yea, he would've expelled him.  Malfoy just showed everyone he's capable of killing me, so if he were expelled, he would've joined his father and You-know-who and became a death eater.  He knows all he has to do is kill my mum, I'll have nowhere to go.  Crabbe or Goyle would start a fight with me, and the Minister would send me back to Azkaban.  So then I'd be responsible for my mum's death, because that would be Malfoy's revenge, and then the twins and Ginny would have nowhere…" Ron stopped speaking.

            Harry and Hermione looked at Ron who was staring at the curtain in front of him as if he were watching something.  They looked at the curtain.  Nothing interesting.

            Ron suddenly came to and gasped.  "Ginny!"  Ron ran out of the Gryffindor common room as fast as his legs would bring him, and as he had long legs and was extremely quick, he was gone in a flash.

            Harry and Hermione exchanged a look but decided to follow.

            "We'll be right back."  Harry called to Sirius.

            Harry and Hermione ran out of the common room looking for a glimpse of Ron.  There was not a sign of him being there.  "Where would Ginny be?"  Hermione asked quickly.

            "Ron!"  Harry called.

            "Downstairs."  Hermione said pulling Harry down the staircase with her explaining her guess breathlessly as they ran down the stairs.  "Ginny was at dinner with us."

            Ron was now on the fourth floor right outside the library.  He saw his sister cornered by Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.

            "Go away!"  Ginny said struggling to get away from Malfoy who had his hands on the wall on both sides of shoulders.  She tried ducking to get away from him, but he just grabbed her arm and pushed her back up.

            "LEAVE ME ALONE!"  Ginny cried pulling her wand out of her bag.

            "Thanks."  Crabbe said taking the wand from her hand.

            Goyle pulled Ginny's bag off of her shoulder roughly.

            "Hey!"  Ginny cried.  "Put them down right now!"

            "Sure thing."  Crabbe said.

            Crabbe threw Ginny's wand over the banister.

            Goyle dumped the contents out of Ginny's bag to floors below before tossing the bag over the banister as well.

            Tears filled Ginny's eyes.

            "Let me go!"  Ginny pleaded to Malfoy as tears fell down her face.

            "Pathetic."  Malfoy said.

            SMACK!

            Ginny covered her stinging cheek where Malfoy had hit her.  Tears fell uncontrollably down her cheeks as Crabbe and Goyle laughed at her.

            BAM!

            Nobody was laughing now.

            Ron had made his way down to the third floor and tackled Malfoy to the ground crashing into Crabbe and Goyle's legs on the way down so that they too would fall.

            Ginny stood stunned.  Ron got up quickly and grabbed Ginny's arm.  "Ginny, come on, let's go."  Ron said urgently.

            "My stuff, th-th-they…"

            "I'll get your stuff.  Just go to the common room, all right?"  Ron asked as they climbed the stairs quickly.

            "What happened?"  Hermione asked as she and Harry met them on the stairs.

            "Take Ginny to the common room, will you?"  Ron asked.

            "What hap-"

            "Just take her to the common room, please!"  Ron snapped.

            "Come on Ginny."  Harry said and started running back up the stairs.

            Ron thought a moment.  He couldn't afford a confrontation with Malfoy if he wanted to get Ginny's things, which he needed to do.  It seemed as though they were already racing for her things.  Five years here, Ron knew there had to be some way to get downstairs without using the stairs, or at least the main stairs.  There were staircases in certain rooms, like in order to get to Dumbledore's office; maybe there was a back way to get downstairs.  Ron couldn't afford to hope to find a way now he needed to get going.  Ron thought another moment and then acted without thinking any longer.

            Ron jumped on the banister to the staircase praying that he wouldn't fall, although it would be a quicker way down… Ron rolled over deliberately and flew to the ground putting his hands down to break his fall…

            Crack!  He fell hard onto his arm.  He felt the bone in his arm snap and his arm dislocate as he fell.

            Ron sat up, and his butt hurt too.  He couldn't have broken his butt!  Ron stood up with sharp pains jolting his body.  Ron bit his lip and grabbed his wand (with his thankfully unbroken right arm), of all things, not broken and used the summoning spell to collect Ginny's bag and wand.  He found her papers and books and put them back inside Ginny's bag.  Unfortunately there had been an inkbottle in the bag and the bottle had broken and the ink had spilled all over the floor.  Ron repaired the inkbottle and used a cleaning spell to remove the ink from the floor.  He summoned anything else that might've spilled but he seemed to have had everything.

            "You know, you Weasley's really are pathetic."  Malfoy said nastily from behind Ron.

            "What were you saying Malfoy?"  Fred called from the doors of the Great Hall.

            "I think he was saying he wanted us to beat him up."  George said.

            "That's what I heard."  Lee said.

            "I don't know, I think he kind of wants Angelina to beat him up like last time…" Fred said.

            "Oh Angelina!"  Lee said loudly.

            Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle quickly left for the dungeons.

            "Hey, Ron, are you all right?"  Fred asked concernedly.

            "No."  Ron said.

            "What's wrong?"  George asked.

            "I think I broke my butt."  Ron said.

            "Yes, Mr. Weasley, not only have you managed to dislocate your arm and break it, you have also managed to break your tailbone.  Be grateful it wasn't your neck."  Madam Pomfrey said.

            "He seriously broke his butt?"  Lee asked.

            "Mr. Jordan, Mr. Weasley has broken the bone in his butt, called the tailbone, and I can assure you it is very painful."  Madam Pomfrey snapped.

            "Well can you please just heal it so I can bring my sister her stuff… I mean I did break my butt to get it for her."  Ron said.

            "Drink this."  Madam Pomfrey said handing Ron a goblet.

            Ron gulped down the potion and looked disgusted.

            Madam Pomfrey muttered three spells, and Ron's bones mended properly in an instant.

             "Thanks."  Ron said.  Ron went to sit up, but gasped in pain.  "I thought you fixed my butt bone."

            "I did, but I don't doubt it's bruised, and the only thing that will heal that is time."  Madam Pomfrey said.

            "Right."  Ron said biting his bottom lip as he got out of bed.  He grabbed Ginny's bag and wand and made his way to Gryffindor tower with Lee, Fred, and George.

            Ron entered the common room to find Ginny sitting restlessly in a chair in the corner of the room by a window fidgeting with a hem in the bottom of her sweater.  There was a slight gray bruise across her right cheek where Malfoy had hit her.  Her face was still tear-stained, and she looked exhausted.

            Harry and Hermione were in the two armchairs in front of the fire looking at their watches every now, but mostly reading or writing essays.

            Ron saw Sirius teaching Angelina, Alicia, and Katie some sort of charm or curse that they could use on the Slytherins or maybe even Fred and George.  The Gryffindors all trusted Sirius, and they loved listening to stories about his years at Hogwarts with all the pranks he pulled on Snape.

            "Gin, I got your stuff.  I think it's all here."  Ron said wincing with every step he took.  He handed Ginny her wand and her bag.

            Ginny looked down in her bag and then back up at her brother.  "Are you all right?  What did Malfoy do to you?"  Ginny asked.

            "Genius here is responsible for injuring himself."  Fred said laughing.

            "What did you do?"  Ginny asked.

            "I slid down the banister, but figured it was quicker if I just fell.  I thought I could break my fall with my hands, but my butt didn't see it that way."  Ron said.

            "He broke his butt."  Lee laughed.  "But it's okay because in Ron's world, he can fall four stories and not injure himself in anyway, because his hands will break his fall."  

            "You should go to Madam Pomfrey."  Ginny said.

            "Already did.  She can't do anything for bruised butts."  George laughed.

            Ron rolled his eyes.

            "Gin, are you all right?"  Ron asked looking at the bruise on the side of her face.

            "Yes."  Ginny said looking down; her hair fell in front of her face.  Ron knew she wasn't all right.

            "All right, you know the spell to turn yourself back, right?  Maybe you should transfigure the chair into a cat again, just to be safe."  _Professor _Watson said nervously one evening two weeks later when tutoring Ron.

            "I can do this, I know I can."  Ron said.

            "All right then…" Professor Watson said hesitantly.

            Ron closed his eyes and saw himself, and then he saw the red fox.  Concentrating on the animal, Ron muttered the spell and he began changing.  His bones were shrinking… He was becoming closer to the ground… Such a weird sensation was going through his body.  Ron opened his eyes.  He looked up and saw a very happy Professor staring at him.  He could smell everything in the room, and hear extremely well too.

            Ron trotted around the room smelling everything from dust to the Professor's perfume, and stepped out into the hallway to listen for anybody.  He heard the softest footsteps and then smelled… a cat.  Mrs. Norris was coming around the corner.  A hand pulled Ron back in the class by the scruff of his neck.

            "Change back now."  Professor Watson said.

            Ron concentrated and suddenly grew into his body again.

            "That was the coolest thing!"  Ron said excitedly.

            "Thank God you're human again."  Professor Watson said with a laugh.

            "You didn't believe I could do that."  Ron said.  "I could smell and hear everything I never would've been able to otherwise.  It was so weird!"

            "That's Animagi for you.  You should register when you're older."  Professor Watson said.

            "Did I look like a fox, or could you still see my robes?"  Ron asked.

            "Sounds like you don't have confidence in yourself.  I didn't correct you, did I?  It was as if you had just come out of the forest."  Professor Watson said happily.

            There was a knock on the classroom door.  Ron opened it to find Remus Lupin.

            "Professor?"  Ron asked, confused.

            "Hello, Ron, but I'm not a Professor anymore, so Remus will do just fine."  Remus said.

            "So you haven't come back to teach?"  Ron asked.

            "Unfortunately not.  How have you been?"  Remus asked.

            "All right."  Ron said.

            "Remus, what brings you here?"  Professor Watson asked interrupting Ron and Remus.

            "Sirius, I've come to relay the trial news to Professor Dumbledore, and he's informed me that you're a teacher here, and I just wanted to stop by and say hi."  Remus said.

            Ron could see the strong connection between the two pairs of eyes and didn't want to ruin the moment, but didn't want to watch it either.  He started ever so slowly towards the door, but stopped as Professor Watson leaned in towards Remus and kissed him.  Ron's jaw dropped.  Ron edged out of the classroom.

            "RON GET BACK IN HERE, RIGHT NOW!"  Professor Watson shouted.

            Ron entered the room grinning.  "I was just going to get Madam Pomfrey, but I see you've revived him."  Ron said.

            "Ron…" Professor Watson said warningly.

            "I was just kidding.  I was going to give you two some privacy and then I was going to go get Snape.  Heaven knows he'd be pissed.  Professor Lupin's always getting what Snape wants I mean first his job, then his crush.  Damn, now I know why Snape's so sour all the time."  Ron said.

            "Watch your language!"  Professor Watson said warningly.

            "I'm sorry."  Ron said honestly.  "Professor, what happened to Sirius?  Did my brother do all right?"

            "I'm no longer your Professor."  Remus said.

            "When I leave here and see any of my Professors in Hogsmeade or something, I'm still going to refer to them as my Professors."  Ron said.

            "That's because they'll still be teaching."  Remus argued.

            "Not McGonagall, she's old, by the time I finally get out of here, she'll have retired."  Ron said.

            "But I'm not a Professor Ron."  Remus said.

            "But you were.  And you should be too.  You should ask to help Professor Watson with teaching me.  She only teaches me two days of week, and I still have a lot to catch up on, and you're a good Professor."  Ron said.

            "I'm not a Professor anymore."  Remus said.

            "Well you should be.  Seriously, you should help teach me.  It's not like you'd be teaching the whole school, so no parents would complain, and I'm not really a bad student.  I'm lazy, but I work for Professor Watson."  Ron said.

            "I'll talk to Dumbledore."  Remus said lazily.

            "Seriously, because you're a really good teacher."  Ron said.  "Speaking of Sirius, what happened?  And how did my brother do?"  

            "Your brother saved Sirius' life.  He had Sirius put under the Veritaserum and everything was told.  Sirius is now looking for a house for him and Harry in Hogsmeade.  Your brother ordered the Ministry to pay Sirius more money than they have.  They're going to be paying Sirius a lot of money over the years."  Remus said.

            "I knew he'd come through."  Ron said happily.  "Professor Watson, you should let me go interrupt Snape's class so I can go tell Harry.  I promise not to say a word about you kissing Professor Lupin, but he ought to know about Sirius.  And I could give you two more time to do whatever."

            "I think I'd better tell him."  Remus said.

            "Are you going to talk to Dumbledore?"  Ron asked.

            "Yes, I will tell him your request."  Remus said.

            "Wait!  I only asked, because I thought you wanted to teach."  Ron said.

            "And I do."  Remus said.

            Ron smiled.

            "Tell Harry I was right about Percy!"  Ron called before Remus left.

This is the end of the story of Ron's life and the summer that he was misunderstood.

Author's Note: This is really the end.  I'm sorry if you're not satisfied, but that's how I want to end it.  It's better than the other abrupt endings in my opinion.  I really appreciate every review I received!  You reviewers made my days, and I'm glad if you enjoyed my story.  I'm terribly sorry if you didn't.

Here are some answers to any questions you might have about my story.

If you're wondering why Mr. Malfoy didn't have a trial my reasoning is that he was probably unavailable at the time and couldn't be found as he was working for the Dark Lord, and he may have paid money to the Ministry to put off the trial.

If you're wondering why Fudge is still the Minister my reasoning is because I think he'll be Minister until he's killed, which didn't happen in my story.

If you're wondering if Professor Lupin returned to help tutor Ron, know that the answer is yes, at least in my fic.

If you're wondering if Professor Lupin and Professor Watson got together, know that they did in my fic.

If you're wondering if Harry left the Dursley's, know that he did.

As for Ron, he did go home to the burrow for the summer, though he did spend many nights in Hogsmeade over Harry's (Sirius') house. 


End file.
